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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25373260">Impact</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/isayantasi/pseuds/isayantasi'>isayantasi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!! Big Love Edition [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Body Image, Childhood Friends, F/M, Female Reader, Fluff, Frottage, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Insecurity, Jealousy, Kozume Kenma &amp; Kuroo Tetsurou Friendship, Peer Pressure, Reader is FAT, Reader-Insert, Romance, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Tension, Slice of Life, Underage Drinking, Volleyball Dorks &amp; Nerds, no beta we die like men, yeah you heard me</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:08:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>384,650</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25373260</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/isayantasi/pseuds/isayantasi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kuroo has a long list of things he loves. You're one of them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kuroo Tetsurou/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!! Big Love Edition [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1837435</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>595</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>444</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>oc self insertSI</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Mikasa Volleyballs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Yo yo yo~ Welcome to my first of (hopefully) many reader-insert Haikyuu fics!</p><p>This is the start of my series involving fat readers. Yeah. <b>Fat.</b> And no, it's <span class="u">not kink-related</span>. </p><p>As much as I love reading fanfics, a lot of people tend to assume that the person reading their work is 1) thin and 2) white. I am neither. It's jarring and pulls me out of the experience so quick. </p><p>I know there are chubby/fat/plus-sized (w/e term makes you most comfortable) ladies out there who want more representation, so I hope I can provide. These fics won't necessarily REVOLVE around reader being fat, BUT there will be numerous references sprinkled here and there.</p><p>This is the first fic I've written in a while and it's been a blast. I hope you enjoy. Big shoutout to my lovely gf for encouraging me to do this. I love her sm and she was who introduced me to Haikyuu in the first place. What a nerd.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You weren't sure who your parents were fooling. Spring break was meant to be filled with late nights, sleeping in, junk food and doing absolutely nothing productive. You didn’t want to spend your period of much-needed freedom locked in your grandma’s stuffy house. You had no friends in the neighborhood where she lived. What did she expect you to do for the next week? She barely had cable, let alone Wi-Fi, and you could only read so many of the same dusty books from her shelf before wanting to tear your hair out.</p>
<p>“It’s a nice day today, dear.” She sipped at her morning coffee, gnarled hands wrapped around the mug gently. It might have been a little too hot for her. You squinted to make sure she didn’t lose her grip on it and send the entire thing tumbling to the floor. It wouldn’t be the first time. “You should take a walk around the neighborhood.”</p>
<p>You scowled at the TV. Basic cable. So this was how your life ended. “And do what?”</p>
<p>“Get some fresh air. Watch the birds. If you’re lucky, you may find the tomcat who’s been lurking around the trashcans.”</p>
<p>“Grandma, that’s really boring. I just want to go home and get on my computer.”</p>
<p>She seemed genuinely perturbed at what you just said. “What would you do at home that you can’t do here?”</p>
<p>“Write, for one.” Conjuring up detailed works of fiction was a passion of yours. You could spend hours in front of the keyboard, clacking away as the sentences materialized on the glaring screen.</p>
<p>“I know, you can go down to the corner store and buy a notebook. A special one.”</p>
<p>You sighed. She just didn’t get it. Notebooks weren’t the same. You could type faster than you could put a pen to paper. Spellcheck was your best friend and that wasn’t exactly an option when it came to doing it the old-fashioned way. Probably the most mortifying part was the risk you’d take if someone were to stumble upon the journal itself. Electronic documents could be password protected and hidden deep within the files of your computer. A flimsy notebook? Not so much.</p>
<p>“Here. I’ll give you some money for one and you can buy yourself something extra.”</p>
<p>As much of a hassle as it was, at least it gave you some reprieve from the house filled floor to ceiling with eclectic clutter. You grabbed your Velcro wallet and stuffed the crisp bills in, stepping into your shoes and heading out the door.</p>
<p>Tokyo was supposed to be exciting. Lots of people outside the city thought so. For you, it was just a lot of the same. Living in the suburbs meant you weren’t exactly swimming in things to do outside of class. Not that you would really be interested. You’d pick your pajamas and room over any kind of “fun” activity that someone dreamt up.</p>
<p>At least it was a nice day, you had to admit. The air was crisp, and the wind was warm. It swept over your cheeks with a gentle caress, darting away just in time to rustle the newly blooming leaves atop the massive trees that lines the sidewalk. The sun wasn’t too harsh, and you could feel your skin soak up the rays eagerly. Vitamin D was hard to come by in the winter.</p>
<p>Spring was a time for rejuvenation, new life and beginnings. You didn’t really understand why, but you would soon be given proof that idea held some merit.</p>
<p>You were engrossed in staring across the street as a few cars chugged on by. You could see a tiny curl of a fluffed tail disappear inside a pile of cinderblocks. Maybe that was the cat that your grandma was talking about. Part of you wanted to cross over and take a look, but you gave up that idea once you realized there were already a few kids – even younger than you were – bending down to check out the hiding spot with excited shouts.</p>
<p>You adjusted your sweater, tugging it down and wishing that you didn’t feel so awkward. All your clothes from even just a few months ago were already tight. Your mom had brushed it off as a healthy growth spurt. Your self-esteem said otherwise. You became frighteningly aware that girls your age weren’t supposed to be shopping in the sizes you wore regularly.</p>
<p>You heard some garbled noises off to your left side, but didn’t pay much attention to it.</p>
<p>Maybe you should have. It would have saved you from taking a volleyball to the face.</p>
<p>The pain was what registered first. Your vision went black and a dull ache blossomed across your nose and cheeks. The force of the hit knocked your hairclips askew. You stumbled backwards from surprise and dropped hard onto the concrete sidewalk. Your lips felt swollen and stung, bruised. You could already sense the tears well up in the corner of your eyes as you struggled to regain some sense of what exactly just happened to you.</p>
<p>As the ball bounced away from you and into the street, you realized that there was a roar of laughter coming from the nearest field.</p>
<p>It took you a second longer to register what was happening. You turned ever so slightly to take a good look at who it was that just managed to embarrass you beyond belief.</p>
<p>In the nearby field, just beyond the chain-link fence, were two boys. Both of them stood by the volleyball nets. One of them was hunched over, desperately trying to avoid your gaze. The other had his pointer finger stabbing the air, one hand clutched on his stomach, doubled over laughing.</p>
<p>You saw red.</p>
<p>Normally you weren’t one for confrontation. In fact, a lot of your teachers were increasingly worried because of how withdrawn you were in class. “She’s such a great student,” they’d say, “I just wish she’d participate in class more.” Just because you didn’t open your mouth to blab on like everyone else didn’t mean something was wrong with you. If you had something to say, you would say it.</p>
<p>And oh, you had a few <em>choice</em> words for the both of them.</p>
<p>“HEY!” Your voice didn’t echo quite as loud as you thought it would. “Are you serious? What the heck is your problem? Do you think it’s funny to hit people?”</p>
<p>The laughter cut off abruptly. The one in question blinked at you slowly, as if it what happened just registered. He swallowed and opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He glanced over at his friend who offered him no backup whatsoever.</p>
<p>“Are you listening to me?” You were right against the fence now. Maybe you were acting a little bit like a chained dog, but you didn’t care. Not when you were this livid. The embarrassment had absolutely crushed any of your timid nature now.</p>
<p>Still no answer. That only made you angrier.</p>
<p>“Jerk!” You tugged your eye down and stuck out a tongue. You spotted the volleyball in question. It stopped right on the edge of the curb. You bent down to pick it up, rolling it around in your hands.</p>
<p>“Hey, wait!” The taller of the two dashed over, his friend trailing after him. “T-that’s my ball!”</p>
<p>“You mean this one? That you just <em>threw</em> at me?” You clutched it tighter against your chest, seeing the way the panic spread across his face. Good. You were getting somewhere. “You must not want it if you toss it around aiming for girls!”</p>
<p>He swallowed thickly. “That…was an accident. I didn’t mean to, I swear!”</p>
<p>“Yeah, sure. Is that why you laughed so hard?” You narrowed your eyes at him. You weren’t sure what made you angrier. That he was backtracking now, or the stupid way his hair fell over one eye. “You shouldn’t make fun of people. It’s really uncool.”</p>
<p>He bit down on his lower lip. “I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“You didn’t seem sorry a few minutes ago.” You weren’t in the mood for his sudden shift in demeanor. It was such a cop-out.</p>
<p>With your fingers still wrapped securely over the ball, you whipped around and chucked it across the street. Given your lack of coordination and upper body strength, it didn’t sail very far. It did, however, land snugly in the back of a passing garbage truck. You all watched in mutual shock as it barreled down the road, disappearing over the horizon.</p>
<p>Now you felt a <em>little</em> guilty. You really hadn’t meant for that to happen. All you wanted was to make him run after it and teach him a lesson.</p>
<p>You froze in your spot as surprised gasps sounded off behind you. You made the mistake of shifting so you could catch sight of both boys. They were crushed. The offender more so than the other. He clenched his hands into tight fists, and you could see them start to shake.</p>
<p>“I said I was <em>sorry</em>!” he snapped. You could see frustrated tears. Uh-oh. Now you were the bad guy all of a sudden? “You didn’t have to do that!”</p>
<p>“T-then maybe you shouldn’t have laughed!” you responded lamely, trying to save grace.</p>
<p>Your response only made him more upset. He glared at you through blurry eyes and you were sickened to see your own reflection in them. You thought standing up for yourself would feel good, but…you were wrong. Now you were the bully.</p>
<p>You dashed off before you had the chance to say anything else. You felt horrible. Awful. The sinking feeling in your gut turned into uncontrollable nausea. Your feet pounded against the pavement as you whizzed past the field, past a few buildings, only coming to a stop at the traffic light to take a breather and slam your hand against the crosswalk button. You were winded in the worst kind of way. Your chest burned. Your mouth was dry. You could feel your legs trembling while you tried to will yourself to move forward.</p>
<p>What if he knew where you were staying? You already planned to lie by omission to your grandma, but you could easily see the two of them tattling on you. You chewed your lower lip. If she found out what you’d done, she would tell your parents. They would have no problem grounding you for the rest of break. Torture.</p>
<p>You crossed through the automatic doors of the corner store. Your head was a jumbled mess. You wandered aimlessly down the aisles, not even bothering to look for the notebook, merely hoping that your fast walk would give you some insight on what to do.</p>
<p>“Please, Mom? It’s so pretty and it looks like my toothpaste!”</p>
<p>“I don’t get it. What’s the difference between these two?”</p>
<p>You lifted your head up, wondering what they were talking about. It looked like the little girl was picking out a ball and went for a tri-tone one. Green, red and blue. She bounced up and down with excitement.</p>
<p>“Big sis will love it! Promise!”</p>
<p>“I’m sure she will. Don’t you think this one is nicer, though? It’s blue and yellow.”</p>
<p>“No way!”</p>
<p>You must have come off as a little creepy, because the mother noticed you were standing there just staring. “Oh, I’m sorry. Are we in your way?”</p>
<p>You hesitated. You knew this was the right thing to do. The money your grandma gave you would cover something like this. It meant you wouldn’t be able to grab a notebook, mechanical pencils or even a buttload of snacks you felt like you deserved for today’s harrowing ordeal.</p>
<p>“Uh, no…sorry. I just need this.”</p>
<p>Without thinking twice about it, you grabbed the last volleyball of its kind. It was pretty obnoxious. Blue and yellow with <em>Mikasa</em> stamped on the side. It wasn’t as heavy as you expected, but it felt around the same weight as the one you’d managed to throw away – literally.</p>
<p>You gazed down hard at the surface, running your hands over the foreign texture. The way that kid looked at you…it was as if his entire world had crumbled. Could a sport really be that much fun? You’d never been one for gym. You would rather do the bare minimum and mysteriously end up at the back of the line when you were all forced to take turns in kickball or baseball.</p>
<p>Boys were weird. That was what you concluded from all of this.</p>
<p>After tossing the receipt, you wondered if the two of them would even be there still. Without anything to play with, they might have just left. What if you never saw them again? You supposed you could just leave the ball in the middle of the field, but…then what if someone else took it?</p>
<p>You were a bundle of nerves and slowed your pace when the field came into view. Your heart lodged itself in your throat. You lingered at the spot you’d been in not twenty minutes earlier, halfway afraid that you would get pummeled by a barrage of balls for showing your face up here again.</p>
<p>You peeked around the corner and saw two figures with mops of black hair. That was a good start. They were still around. Both of them sat on the grass together. They looked like they were in the midst of a serious conversation. Maybe planning how to avenge their lost ball?</p>
<p>You forced yourself past the gate, trying not to draw any attention to yourself. Every step forward was like you walking further into hell. If hell was a couple of rowdy boys who could easily push you down into the mud and force you to eat worms or something.</p>
<p>You considered your options. Sure, there were two of them, but you were bigger than they were. Sturdier. If you puffed yourself up big enough, they might have just turned tail and ran.</p>
<p>Fingers trembling, you cleared your throat. Both boys glanced over their shoulders to look up at you. Their expressions blanched simultaneously. Okay, you deserved that. You bent down and stretched your arms out, heart hammering in your chest, giving them a peace offering.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry for losing your ball.”</p>
<p>“Whoa…” The one with the weird hair could scarcely believe it. “Did you run after that truck this whole time?”</p>
<p>“What?” You weren’t sure if he was joking or not. “No, I just bought this at the store down the street.”</p>
<p>“A brand new ball…” His eyes glistened. He looked disturbingly feline just then. “Dude! This is awesome! This is way better than the one we were playing with!”</p>
<p>You were a little flustered at his sudden shift in mood, but was relieved that he was so ecstatic. It made you feel a little better about everything that just happened.</p>
<p>He scrambled up to his feet. You were taller than him, so he had to tilt his head to look at you. That was puberty for you. Always reminding everyone that girls were number one after all.</p>
<p>“Thanks for this! A-and I’m sorry again for laughing. I really didn’t mean to hit you. Kenma and I were practicing our serves and I guess I kind of went overboard.”</p>
<p>You had no idea what he was talking about. “Uh, that’s okay. I’m…sorry I yelled at you.”</p>
<p>He looked a little concerned. “You’ve got blood smeared all over your face, y’know.”</p>
<p>“What?!” Your hands flew up to your face. You brushed the stripe of skin underneath your nostrils and realized it felt gritty. Oh, man. Your nose had been bleeding and you didn’t even realize it! You panicked and saw a stream of blood that managed to stain the front of your sweater. Great, just great. As if you needed another shirt replaced.</p>
<p>“You can use this.” He tugged a packet of tissues from his pocket. It was wrinkled and had seen better days. Just how long did he keep those in there? “Wait, it’s probably not going to wipe off when it’s dry. Uh…” Without any warning, he spit generously on the paper, enough to get it wet. “Here ya go.”</p>
<p>“Ew. No way!” you recoiled. “It’s got your spit all over it!”</p>
<p>“So what?”</p>
<p>The one called Kenma plucked another fresh tissue and opened up his water bottle. He poured a dollop on it and offered it to you. He still refused to look you in the eye, partially hid by the other boy, his body language screaming for help.</p>
<p>“Thanks.” You took Kenma’s offering instead, vigorously rubbing at your nose. “The cashier didn’t even say anything!”</p>
<p>“That’s because he’s blind in one eye,” the weird-haired boy cackled. “He probably thought it was just makeup or something. It’s probably a good thing, you look kinda crazy!”</p>
<p>You huffed. “Yeah, well, whose fault is that?” You scrubbed the blood away as best you could, not knowing if you got it all. Apparently you didn’t, because he snatched the tissue away from you and rid your face of the remaining streaks.</p>
<p>He grinned. “Hey, what’s your name?” You told him. He mulled over it for a moment. “Well, I’m Kuroo Tetsurou and that’s Kozume Kenma. You wanna play with us?”</p>
<p>You hesitated, especially seeing how shy his friend was. “I’m really not that good at sports.”</p>
<p>“And? It’s just for fun. You should see us in action first, then you can decide whether you wanna give it a try. Besides, earlier you chucked that ball like a DK barrel.”</p>
<p>You squinted at him. “What?” You weren’t sure if it was an insult. You got the reference, but what kind of weirdo referred to a girl as an ape? Was it a dig at your size, your face, or what?</p>
<p>He didn’t catch the hint. “Donkey Kong, duh. Old school stuff. Don’t you know anything about video games?”</p>
<p>“I know who Donkey Kong is!”</p>
<p>“Sure. Well, we can show you some more stuff later. Kenma’s got a console in his room. He’s lucky.”</p>
<p>You were happy to sit on the sidelines. Kuroo was on one end and Kenma on the other. They acted a little less coordinated since there was someone watching. You watched them both awkwardly try to pass the ball to each other over the net. Kuroo would let the ball drop down onto his forearms, pushing it away from his body. It just barely skimmed over the net. It took Kenma a few more tries before they got into the groove.</p>
<p>You had to admit, it was entertaining watching them. They were into it, even if you could tell they were bad. At least they were trying.</p>
<p>“Hey! I’ll pass it to you. Just hit it like I did!”</p>
<p>Jeez. Kuroo sure was pushy. You shot Kenma a “look” which he didn’t return. You’d have to try a little harder to win him over, then.</p>
<p>You readied yourself, arms thrust out awkwardly, hoping and praying to the Sports Gods that they would have some kind of mercy on you this day.</p>
<p>No such luck.</p>
<p>You got hit in the face for the second time that day. Much to his credit, Kuroo managed to at least stifle his laughter this time. Kenma gave you an additional tissue so you could mop up the fountain of blood that gushed down your nose.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, despite not actively participating in the game, the hours ticked on by. Lunch rolled around the corner.</p>
<p>“I know a where to get some food. C’mon!”</p>
<p>It was a good choice. You had worked up an appetite from the stresses of the day. There was a small family-owned ramen stand not too far away from the store you visited earlier. All three of you stood in line while you mulled over the menu.</p>
<p>“What do you like to get here, Kenma?”</p>
<p>He flinched at the sound of his name, dropping his eyes to the ground. He really didn’t like making eye contact. Some people might’ve thought that was weird, but you didn’t mind so much. You weren’t exactly considered cool in your school, anyway.</p>
<p>“They have good tonkotsu…”</p>
<p>“That sounds good. I think I can afford one.” You took out your wallet and peered at the complete lack of spare change. Right. You forgot you’d managed to spend what was probably your entire allowance for the week. You shut it and stuffed it back in your pocket, stepping backwards as Kuroo ordered for him and Kenma.</p>
<p>Kuroo glanced back at you. “Want some gyoza too?”</p>
<p>“Ah, it’s okay. I’m actually not that hungry.”</p>
<p>In response to your lie, your stomach growled. You were being called out right now and you were not a fan of this.</p>
<p>Kuroo’s face twisted into a haughty smirk. “Must’ve just been the wind, right? It’s fine, I’m buying today.”</p>
<p>He got you two orders of gyoza. You wondered how he knew this was what you’d normally eat. You plopped down next to them on the curb. You were so hungry you didn’t even realize how hard you dug in. The noodles disappeared in big mouthfuls, broth flicking upwards as you slurped them up with gusto. You drained the bowl of all its broth once everything was gone, licking the remnants from your lips. You snagged a few gyoza while you were at it, chomping away until you realized that Kuroo was staring at you.</p>
<p>“What?” you asked, swallowing hard. “It’s good.”</p>
<p>“Toldja so!” He resumed eating. He looked like he was enjoying himself immensely. You took another gyoza and polished it off. He stared down at the plate and grinned. “Toss one to me!”</p>
<p>You couldn’t help yourself. Given how many times you got injured today, this felt like a fitting punishment. You chucked the gyoza at his face. It hit the corner of his eye and landed in his lap. He let out a frustrated sound and nearly dropped his bowl of ramen. You took one look at him and busted out laughing.</p>
<p>Kenma glanced down at his bowl. It felt like he was stirring it and picking at the noodles instead of actually eating it. When he didn’t finish his food, he passed it off to Kuroo, who was more than happy to scarf down the rest of it.</p>
<p>With your bellies sated, you went back to the field and laid back on the grass to watch the clouds. Little wisps floated lazily ahead, going at their own pace. You didn’t bother trying to find any shapes in them. Not when Kuroo was already doing so, insisting that one of them looked like a cat. You really didn’t see it.</p>
<p>The rest of the afternoon melted away. You realized how long you’d been gone and jumped up from your spot.</p>
<p>“Sorry, I gotta go home. My grandma must be worried.”</p>
<p>Kuroo stood up and pulled Kenma to his feet. You were a little taken aback when they moved towards you. “We’ll walk you home,” Kuroo told you matter-of-factly. “Not far from here, is it?”</p>
<p>You shook your head. “Thanks. I’ll lead the way.”</p>
<p>You settled into comfortable silence as Kenma and Kuroo held their own conversation. Something video game related. You didn’t listen too intently, only because you felt like if you did, Kenma would notice and clam up. You weren’t going to be one of those people that pushed him into a friendship. It looked like Kuroo already had that handled on his end.</p>
<p>You glanced at your bobbing shadows across the street. It was kind of funny, actually. They melded together sometimes and made you look like one amorphous blob. When you separated, you could easily spot the telltale sweep of Kuroo’s hair in that weird little cowlick. You did notice how much bigger your shadow was than theirs, but tore your eyes away from it before you could dwell further. No use in ruining what was a fun day.</p>
<p>“You said you’re staying with your grandma, right? So you don’t live around here?”</p>
<p>You shook your head, fumbling with the edge of your soiled sweater. Who knew what kind of magic you’d have to pull in order to get this stain out. “Nope. Just here for spring break. I’ll go back home the day before school starts.”</p>
<p>“Lame. You got anything going on tomorrow? I can teach you how to play the Wii.”</p>
<p>“I-I already know how to do it, Kuroo!”</p>
<p>“Bet you don’t.” You couldn’t decide if his smug little smile was amusing or annoying. “Just come over. We can meet at the field tomorrow morning.”</p>
<p>“You sure are bossy for someone I just met,” you muttered, though the smile on your face betrayed your words.</p>
<p>You lingered in front of your grandma’s house. You were sure she was waiting patiently inside for you. Your mom would have already been on the porch yelling at you for not checking in, since stopping by the store didn’t take more than half an hour. You’d been out for the majority of the day and never bothered to let her know.</p>
<p>“See you guys later.” You braced yourself for your impending punishment and waved at them before making your way into the house.</p>
<p>Peering through the curtains and blinds, you could hear the two of them talking with each other for a moment. Kuroo had the new volleyball raised over his head, his eyes alight and a broad grin. Kenma shot him a subdued smile. They finally turned heel and headed down the street, none the wiser.</p>
<p>“You made some new friends, dear?”</p>
<p>You nearly jumped out of your skin. “G-Grandma!”</p>
<p>“I told you it was a nice day.” She patted your head affectionately. “Tell me all about it. I’m making dinner right now and I would appreciate the company.”</p>
<p>While spring break wasn’t exactly long, it was actually pretty eventful. You spent the majority of your days with Kenma and Kuroo. If you weren’t making a trip down to the field, you were at their houses playing video games. Kenma was actually a whiz at them. You were in awe of his skills. He seemed like he was in his own zone when you did stuff like that, and you found that he was actually more comfortable speaking to you if the topic was strategy and advice.</p>
<p>You were fine with spectating when they practiced volleyball. You eventually did find an empty notebook in your grandma’s house that you snatched with her none the wiser. It wasn’t as easy as typing away on a desktop, but you were able to drift away into your writing while the boys honed their skills. They were both planning to join the team in the new year.</p>
<p>The last day was probably the hardest. Your grandma made some sweets for you as you sat outside her house, munching away together. Kuroo snuck glances at you. He didn’t think you noticed, but you definitely did. He couldn’t be more obvious if he tried.</p>
<p>“Hey, do you think you’ll come back next break?”</p>
<p>“In the summer?” You pondered on it. “I can ask.”</p>
<p>“Do it.” He shot you another one of his signature Cheshire grins. “You’re one of us now.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Summers at the Beach</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summer break has just started! Why not take a little trip? They say the beach is lovely this time of year...if you don't mind the extra company.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>here's your obligatory beach episode, y'all! </p>
<p>from my experience, this is how it usually goes in most reader-insert fics: </p>
<p>"you stepped out in your sexiest bikini and -insert love interest here- ran their eyes over your curves. everyone else gasped and stared. you were so hot! multiple guys hit on you aggressively. this is normal life." </p>
<p>then i laugh bc i'm fat af and just keep scrolling.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first semester of school wasn’t different at all from previous years. Classes were boring. Other kids had their own cliques. You weren’t popular. You hung out with other rejects and so-called weirdos. In your free time after breezing through quizzes, tests and assignments, you jotted down ideas for your writing in the back of your school notebooks.</p>
<p>Summer finally arrived and you were thankful you had a little over a month to recuperate. It was going to be somewhat eventful. With some not-so subtle encouragement from Kuroo, you’d managed to convince your parents that yes, you really <em>did</em> want to be at your grandmother’s house for the entirety of your break. Of course you mentioned that you’d made a couple of friends where she lived. Your parents were a little iffy, given you stressed that you were okay with not coming home until school started back up, but your grandma had your back like always. She made sure to reassure your parents that she had the extra space and enjoyed your company.</p>
<p>Despite looking forward to that, you hadn’t made any concrete plans with Kuroo and Kenma yet. You really wanted to set up a time where all of you could get together.</p>
<p>Staring down at the (thankfully) cordless phone, you punched in the numbers and listened to the familiar ring.</p>
<p>“Hello?”</p>
<p>“Hey, Smirks. It’s me.”</p>
<p>Kuroo snorted on the other end. “That nickname is so lame. It’s never gonna stick!”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah? We’ll see about that. Anyways, my parents are planning a day trip, so I’ll be coming out a day later than I thought. Sorry.”</p>
<p>You could just visualize him shrugging on the other end, pretending he didn’t care but definitely being disappointed. He was too easy to read. “That’s fine. Actually I was supposed to call you, ‘cuz the first day of summer we’re going out, too.”</p>
<p>“That works then! I’ll call Kenma and let him know.”</p>
<p>“Don’t bother. He’s right here.” You heard shuffling on the other side. “Dude, don’t be like that! She wants to talk to you!”</p>
<p>You sighed. Kenma was still wary around you. You didn’t mind it, but Kuroo was increasingly exasperated at how the two of you weren’t as close as they were. “Don’t force him! Kenma, if you can hear me, I can’t wait to see you!”</p>
<p>You heard him mumble something, but his voice was so quiet that you didn’t quite catch it. Oh well. It probably wasn’t important.</p>
<p>They were in the midst of a heated Pokémon battle, so you didn’t bother holding them up any longer. Besides, you had to think about packing for the summer away. It was going to be insanely hot. One would think that tanktops and shorts would be abundant in your closet for this time of year, but it was quite the opposite. Having so much bare skin on display for others to judge and ogle at was pretty much what your nightmares consisted of.</p>
<p>Well, the car ride wasn’t so bad. Aside from the radio crackling and spewing out the same recycled Top 100 hits, you weren’t bothered too much. The roads were smooth and made the process of drifting off much easier. You didn’t even mind the occasional bump that caused your head to knock against the glass of the window.</p>
<p>Stepping out of the car into the intense heat was actually refreshing. You stretched your arms high above your head, squeezing your eyes shut and breaking into a long yawn. The trees surrounding the parking lot whispered sweet nothings, luring you into lowering your guard so you would traverse past them into the sand. They were just waiting for you to brush past them so they could deposit a fat bug on your back. You knew their game.</p>
<p>“Sweetheart, could you grab the towels?”</p>
<p>You obliged, gathering them up in your arms from the backseat of the car. They were all tattered, torn and discolored. Perfect for throwing them down onto the ground and lying back. You ignored the questionable musty scent that clung to them from being shoved in the back of the linen closet, trailing after your parents while you tried to find a decent spot.</p>
<p>The beach itself was crowded. Well, that was an understatement. It was teeming with bodies. How would you even find your own spot in this sea of strangers? You padded your way down the shore, careful not to kick up any sand or step on someone. You hated the fact that so many pair of eyes could be looking at you at any moment, drinking in your appearance, judging silently, making assumptions.</p>
<p>After some aimless wandering, you finally did pick a somewhat secluded spot. It was near a rock littered with moss which was probably why no one wanted to be near it.</p>
<p>You slammed the tail end of your umbrella into the sand, wiggling it for good measure, eager to take refuge underneath the wide embrace of the nylon canopy. Never mind it was embarrassingly decorated with obnoxious cartoon hamburgers. Where the heck did it even come from? Did it just spawn in your house one day and your family decided it was okay to keep?</p>
<p>You were just about to settle in on the blanket when you heard rapid footsteps kick through the sand towards you. You thought maybe it was some obnoxious little kid roughhousing with their siblings, so you were shocked to see a familiar face duck under the umbrella to peer at you.</p>
<p>“I knew it! Kenma, I was right! It <em>is</em> her!”</p>
<p>Kuroo scrambled underneath the umbrella to join you. Judging by his lopsided grin, he was happy to see you, at least. Kenma stood a little off to the side, rubbing his arm awkwardly, gazing down at his bare feet like they held the secrets of the universe.</p>
<p>“So this is the day trip your family planned?” you asked.</p>
<p>“Yeah. Guess they had the same idea as yours.” He held out a fist. “Don’t act like we’re strangers. At least do this.”</p>
<p>You sighed and bumped your own against his. His face only brightened.</p>
<p>“Well, what’re you waiting for? Get changed in your swimsuit and come with us. I’m on the hunt for sea cucumbers.”</p>
<p>You made a face. “Ew, why?”</p>
<p>“Because Kenma’s never seen one before.”</p>
<p>You would much rather stay in the shade than venture out and scour the seafloor for those creepy little things. “No way.”</p>
<p>“Don’t be like that. You can’t be scared, they’re harmless. Besides, if you don’t come, then I might just bring one over to you – and y’know what happens when they get scared, right?”</p>
<p>You scowled at him. Oh, you <em>definitely</em> knew what he was talking about. No way were you going to let him shoot sea cucumber intestines all over you. Not only was the thought of it disgusting, but that stuff did not come off easily. It took scrubbing it off with sand just to make sure there were no remnants sticking to your skin. You learned that the hard way.</p>
<p>You sighed and rolled out from underneath your safe haven. As much as you put on a show that it was a bother, you were actually thrilled to meet the two of them here. You quickly slathered up some sunscreen on your arms and legs, bounding over to the both of them while they lingered near the shore.</p>
<p>Kuroo gave you a once over. “Thought you were gonna change?”</p>
<p>You glanced down at your outfit. It was a pair of old shorts and a large t-shirt. “This is what I usually wear when I go swimming.”</p>
<p>He still seemed confused, glancing at Kenma for clarification. The quieter of the two shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t you have a swimsuit?”</p>
<p>“I mean…I guess? I didn’t bring it, though.” You shifted in the sand, not sure how else to explain yourself. “It’s a lot of skin to show.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, ‘cuz it’s hot.” He gestured to the rows of people of various ages, shapes and sizes. Men had no problem keeping their shirts off; it was so normalized for them. Even Kenma, as shy as he was, wasn’t wearing one. “I thought for sure you’d have a bikini! Kenma said you’d go with a one piece.”</p>
<p>You huffed. “Well, you were both wrong. Are we going sea cucumber hunting or not?”</p>
<p>His brows furrowed for the briefest of moments, but he shrugged. “Better keep up.”</p>
<p>Before you knew what was happening, Kuroo had launched himself into the water. He disappeared underneath the surface, feet kicking as he dropped down to the sea floor. You were in awe of how limber he was in the water. He looked like he had no qualms opening his eyes up despite the sting of salt.</p>
<p>He was <em>almost</em> cool. Until he broke through, gasping, snot running down his nose with bloodshot eyes and a mop of dark hair flattened against his head. He muttered under his breath and pressed the heel of his hand against his eye, trying to power through the pain.</p>
<p>As you would soon learn, Kuroo tried to act smooth, but underneath his exterior was the dorkiest guy you’d ever met.</p>
<p>You dipped your bare toes into the water, wiggling them against the grainy texture of the sand and rocks below. You took a few tentative steps before turning halfway around, hand outstretched towards Kenma. He was so busy in his own world and focused on the horizon that he didn’t notice right away. You watched him hesitate, consider his options, then he reached out to get a firm grip on your hand.</p>
<p>You led him through the water step by step, sloshing through as the waves climbed higher until they were around your waist. The gentle rocking was almost soothing. You crouched down in the water and held your breath, taking the plunge to dunk your entire head in. It was ice cold, a comfort for sure given the temperature outside. You let the current sweep your hair all around you, making sure every part of it was wet before popping up to the surface.</p>
<p>You were quickly startled with a giant splash to your face.</p>
<p>“Kuroo!” you shouted, nearly toppling backwards. Your shaking legs managed to keep you upright. You glowered at him through your drenched hair, gathering most of it away from your forehead and slicking it back.</p>
<p>He snickered and pushed off into the water, heading further out from shore.</p>
<p>You whipped around to face Kenma, who was letting the water slip through his fingers. “Hey, will you help me take him down? Someone’s gotta put him in his place!”</p>
<p>He considered it for a moment and then shrunk back. “I don’t want to take sides…”</p>
<p>“Dang. You’re a good friend. No wonder Kuroo sticks to you like glue.” You shot him a brief smile before beckoning him to follow. “We’d better catch up to him before he ends up being swept away by the current. Or a bird mistakes his hair for a sea urchin and he gets pecked to death.”</p>
<p>You heard Kenma laugh for the first time and your heart swelled. It was a nice sound. You were always worried he didn’t like you that much and only tolerated you because Kuroo did. It was a relief to know that he was starting to warm up to you, at least.</p>
<p>You kicked your legs out and swam, enjoying the way your feet no longer touched the ground. The water was freezing in contrast to the sweltering heat of the sun directly overheard. The glitter of the ocean’s surface was so intense it nearly hurt your eyes. The piercing blue skies were difficult to ignore.</p>
<p>You watched Kuroo and Kenma take turns diving, though Kenma didn’t stay underwater nearly as long. You were surprised he’d come to the beach at all. You figured he would much rather stay at home. Then again, Kuroo seemed like he was used to having to drag him everywhere.</p>
<p>“I GOT ONE!”</p>
<p>You watched Kuroo triumphantly grip the defenseless thing in his hand, hoisting it high above his head. He didn’t even have time to shake it around to spook it, because the thing immediately started ejecting its guts all over him. His gleeful laughter soon turned to screams of disgust.</p>
<p>You burst out laughing.</p>
<p>Kuroo chucked the cucumber far into the ocean and dunked his head several times in the water. “Hey! Kenma! Help me get this stuff out of my hair!”</p>
<p>Kenma responded by already being halfway to shore, not bothering to look back. He had a good head on his shoulders.</p>
<p>When you turned your attention back to Kuroo, he was already right in front of you. He looked helpless at first, but seeing your bewildered expression seemed to activate his sadistic side. He whipped his head back and forth, shaking his hair like a wet dog. You cried out in frustration and lifted your arms, attempting to save yourself from any chunks of viscera splashing on you.</p>
<p>“Stop!” You grabbed his shoulders. “I know how to get it off. Just give me a second.”</p>
<p>You crouched down and grabbed a fistful of wet sand, attempting to retain the majority of it in your palm. Some of it escaped through the cracks of your fingers and was swept away with the current, but you didn’t mind.</p>
<p>“Just turn around for a second. I promise this will get it out. It’s gross, but…”</p>
<p>He did as you asked him, staring in the opposite direction, shoulders tense. With a wet <em>splat!</em>, you smacked the glob onto his hair. You threaded your fingers through and began to scrub at the insanely sticky substance, the grittiness of the sand working its magic. Kuroo sighed in mild annoyance, but he seemed to relax. You watched the milky threads all but disappear, leaving his hair seemingly untouched.</p>
<p>You rinsed your hands off and he whipped around. “Thanks. Let’s go get somethin’ to eat, I’m starving!”</p>
<p>Kenma was already wrapped up in a warm towel when you made your way to the water’s edge. It looked like he’d snagged it from your family’s stash. He held out a couple for you.</p>
<p>“I saw a food stand not far from here. Let’s check it out.”</p>
<p>“Actually, my mom made lunch and brought it here. She always makes a ton of food. Let’s eat together.”</p>
<p>Your mom was more than happy to feed your friends. You gathered up what you wanted and settled in underneath the umbrella together. Your limbs were already starting to ache from the entire morning spent swimming together. The sand caked on your damp calves and you were a little sticky from a mix of the ocean water and dried sweat. Your legs pressed up against each other while you dug into your meals.</p>
<p>“Y’know, you really like food!” Kuroo told you through a mouthful of rice. “You eat even more than I do!”</p>
<p>“I love food. All kinds.” You shrugged. “Don’t tell me you want to have a contest. I’d wipe the floor with you!”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah?! We’ll see about that.”</p>
<p>With your bellies full, and much drier than you were about ten minutes ago, you decided to wander along the shore. Kenma looked like he was going through video game withdrawals at this point. You knew he probably didn’t want to risk getting sand in his handheld, but you felt bad for him.</p>
<p>You bent down and managed to find a smooth stone among the broken shells and sand. You thumbed it absentmindedly before peering across the empty waters before you.</p>
<p>“That’s good for skipping.” Kuroo plucked it from your hands before you could protest. “Check it out.”</p>
<p>He flicked his wrist and you watched as the stone skated across the water. It bounced so effortlessly. One, two, three…before finally sinking down to the murky depths. You were amazed. You’d never been able to do it before. He made it look so easy. He really was the type of boy who reveled in his athleticism, wasn’t he?</p>
<p>“Kenma’s better at this than I am. He’s got good control of his wrists and fingers from volleyball! I think he should be a setter.” Kuroo bent down and found another rock worthy of being chucked through the air. “You should show her.”</p>
<p>A little bashful, Kenma did as he was told. You were shocked to see that with his expertise, the stone jumped at least six times before stopping. It was pretty cool, you had to admit. You told Kenma so and he ducked his head down, embarrassed at your praise.</p>
<p>“Your turn.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know how to do it,” you admitted. “I’ve tried and it never works.”</p>
<p>“Give it a shot.”</p>
<p>You sighed. He was just going to use this as a moment to tease the life out of you. Still, you figured that one attempt couldn’t hurt. You tried to visualize your success in an attempt to bring it to reality. No such luck. The stone soared through the air and sank immediately, a small <em>plonk</em> as it was swallowed by the eager waters.</p>
<p>True to himself, Kuroo took the opportunity to point and laugh.</p>
<p>“You just chucked it!”</p>
<p>“Well, how else am I supposed to do it?” He always loved getting a rise out of you. Even now his eyes twinkled with mischief.</p>
<p>He snickered. “Don’t be such a baby. I’ll teach you. You’re our best friend, we can’t be seen with you if you can’t even do this.”</p>
<p>At the time, you didn’t think much about his words. You were probably too engrossed in trying to make him eat his words that it didn’t register. Still, you would reflect on that conversation a little later and embrace the warmth of that label.</p>
<p>Despite his teasing nature, Kuroo was patient – and a good teacher. For a snot-nosed kid who you thought you hated upon first meeting him, he was much gentler than you realized. It was obvious that he had a soft spot for his friends, yourself included. While he did make some biting comments, which you responded to with an equal amount of snark, he didn’t give up on you. No matter how many times you ended up failing miserably.</p>
<p>Finally, after what felt like hours of you trying to perfect your craft, you zeroed in on the lone stone that barely, just barely, skipped ahead before disappearing.</p>
<p>“Yes!” you exclaimed. While Sports Gods weren’t kind to you, at least Beach Gods were. Or something. You turned toward the other two, beaming. “Did you see that?”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded with a small smile. Kuroo, on the other hand, pretended that he had been facing the opposite direction and just happened to turn around.</p>
<p>“Nope! Didn’t catch it. Try again.”</p>
<p>You narrowed your eyes at him, vowing to get your revenge when he least suspected it.</p>
<p>You went back into the water at one point. You waded in and welcomed the change in temperature. The late afternoon sun wasn’t quite as harsh, but you still wanted to be refreshed. You dove forward before rolling yourself onto your back. One good thing about being your size: buoyancy. You could float for as long as you wanted without having to do much work.</p>
<p>Now facing the sky, and your ears submerged underwater, you closed your eyes and let the waves rock your body into a relaxing rhythm.</p>
<p>If this was setting the tone for the rest of your summer, you would be more than happy to spend every year here.</p>
<p>You forced your lower half below the water and put yourself into an upright position, peering around to see where the two of them had gone. You must’ve floated off further than you intended, because you had to actually paddle toward the shore.</p>
<p>“I wanna float,” Kuroo grumbled. “It’s cool. I just sink.”</p>
<p>“You mean I actually can do something you can’t?” You shot him a playful look. “We should start making a list.”</p>
<p>You left the ocean for the last time. The crowd had thinned out significantly and you knew your family would want to leave soon. You sat down at the edge of the water, dipping your toes in, leaning back on your hands and appreciating the brief moment of peace and quiet.</p>
<p>“Wish you came to our school…”</p>
<p>You were surprised at his words. “I don’t live close enough.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I know. Still sucks.” Kuroo drew his knees up to his chest. “Maybe you can move closer. Or stay with your grandma from now on.”</p>
<p>You liked his enthusiasm, but you all knew it just wasn’t realistic. “It would be fun, that’s for sure. I would get to annoy you every day.”</p>
<p>“You think you’re smart enough to be in my homeroom?”</p>
<p>“I know I would. It can’t be that hard if they let <em>you</em> in.”</p>
<p>Kuroo thought for a moment, tilting his head so he could peer at you closely. “What about next year? Our first year of junior high? Kenma won’t be there, but we can make sure that when he <em>does</em> get in, he doesn’t get so freaked out. Since he’ll already have a friend to hang out with during breaks and lunches.”</p>
<p>They both were waiting on you expectantly. You hadn’t realized that this was such a big deal to them. You hadn’t spent much time with each other in person, but it seemed like they genuinely thought you were fun and easy to get along with. You bit the inside of your lower lip in response, trying not to make your next words sound too harsh.</p>
<p>“I don’t think so, guys. I’m guessing you’ll go to Hibiki, right? That’s out of my school district. Even if I did get special permission, I’d have to take the bus. My mom would flip if I went by myself.”</p>
<p>They both deflated, muscles in their shoulders going lax and heads drooping. It was hard to hear, but it needed to be said. Sometimes it really sucked being so pragmatic.</p>
<p>You needed to backtrack a little bit to lighten the mood. “It’s fine, though! ‘Cuz we can always hang out over breaks. Maybe I can come down to visit on the weekends, too. Plus, we have the whole rest of this summer to spend time with each other, right?”</p>
<p>Kuroo still didn’t look convinced. Kenma gazed at him thoughtfully before turning his gaze to you. For the first time he made eye contact with you. You squirmed a little bit. The color of his eyes in combination with the intensity behind them was nearly overwhelming. You knew it was because this was important to him.</p>
<p>“Don’t cry, Smirks,” you patted his back a little harder than normal. “I don’t have any tissues on me. Wait, Kenma, where did those come from?! And how are they even dry?!”</p>
<p>Kuroo peered at you through the corner of his eye. Seeing you freak out as Kenma handed you a package of tissues from his (secret?) stash was enough to break the ice. He laughed. The tension in his face released all at once, no longer weighed down by the confusing thoughts of the future and what it meant for your blossoming friendship.</p>
<p>You stood up first when you heard your name behind called behind you. You held out a hand to each of them. Kenma’s grip on you was tentative, a little weak, hesitant at first. Eventually his fingers curled securely around your own. Kuroo, on the other hand, was resolute. He slapped his hand into yours and used you as leverage in an effort to pull himself up from your cozy spot in the sand.</p>
<p>“Don’t stay up late! Kenma and I will be at your grandma’s house tomorrow morning! You better have practiced your serves or else you’re gonna be on ball fetching duty!”</p>
<p>You rolled your eyes, a chuckle escaping you before you knew it. “If I hit you in the head and give you a concussion, don’t blame me!”</p>
<p>You waved to them before falling in line with your family as you headed back to your car. As soon as you got home, you knew you were going to take a long shower, scrub the sand from your unmentionables, condition the heck out of your hair, eat something and then crash out.</p>
<p>You settled in your seat and locked the seatbelt into place. You could already feel exhaustion sweeping over you as you pulled out of the parking lot. The smell of the beach lingered on your skin, the adrenaline of the day having finally worn down.</p>
<p>Your mom glanced at you through the rearview mirror. “You have fun today, sweetheart?”</p>
<p>“Mm.”</p>
<p>You let out a long exhale. Your eyes were already heavy, and your lids slid shut before you could stop them. A little snooze on the drive home wouldn’t hurt.</p>
<p>You were looking forward to the weeks filled with mischief, adventure, sleepovers, laughter and much needed relief from a school year sure to be taxing beyond compare.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>a big thank you to everyone who's commented so far! you guys are my muses, my motivators, my humble audience whom i adore...you make the world a better place...</p>
<p>has anyone read about kuroo's future job since the manga ended? i'm crying??? it fits him SO well. why didn't i think of it before? luckily i didn't write anything post-high school yet, so it saves me additional work.</p>
<p>also i want to note that this fic isn't going to have any random side pairings. i don't ship anyone in haikyuu (aside from the confirmed canon couple from karasuno bc...they're so cute...). so yeah. my biggest pet peeve is being blindsided by ships that aren't in the tags. please be kind and take the time to tag ur works! even if the ship is only mentioned/makes a brief appearance! </p>
<p>and if you'd like me to add other tags, please let me know!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Girls with Long Hair</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You realize that balancing friendships will be a little more difficult than you thought.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hey hey hey~ back with another chapter!</p>
<p>me starting this fic: haha it'll be a cute mini fic, like 5 chapters or something<br/>me now: oh. oh no-</p>
<p>also i want to apologize to any natural-haired ladies for the descriptions in this chapter. let's pretend you insisted on relaxers or made your mom drop some cash for a lace front. yes, she loves you that much.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“If you’re not down here in the next five minutes you’re going to be late for school, and I’m <em>not</em> going to sign off on a fake doctor’s note this time!”</p>
<p>You huffed. “MOM! Please. I’m almost done!”</p>
<p>Jeez. She had no idea what a delicate operation this was. Your school didn’t allow makeup, but a little bit of pencil eyeliner could go a long way. You angled your wrist to make sure that you closely traced your upper lashline.</p>
<p>Once you were satisfied with your work, you ran your brush through your locks, paying special attention to the knots that loved to form at the tips. It was sleek and glossy, a reward from many trials and errors with the right shampoos and conditioners. It was your pride and joy. If you couldn’t be gorgeous like other girls because of your size, you were sure as hell going to make them envy the sheer length and beauty of your hair. It dangled near your waist and you peered over your shoulder to gaze at the way it cascaded down your back.</p>
<p>Your mom called your name <em>again</em> and you knew she wasn’t kidding. You raced down from your room to the front door and nearly tripped when bending down to slip your shoes on. You tapped your feet against the hardwood just to make sure they were secure before flinging the door open and darting down the path to the sidewalk.</p>
<p>“I almost left without you.”</p>
<p>“Sorry, Yakkun. I overslept.”</p>
<p>“Same excuse as always.” Yaku sighed and flung his bag over his shoulder, leading the way toward school. “Were you up late last night?”</p>
<p>“Fanfiction rests for no one. I have to keep going for my fans!”</p>
<p>“Maybe I’d be a fan too if you let me read some of your stuff.” He tilted his head toward you. “But you always say no.”</p>
<p>“Because it’s embarrassing. You’ve known me my whole life. I don’t want you to read my stuff and judge me. And don’t lie, I know you will!”</p>
<p>He laughed, shaking his head. “You write weird stuff, don’t you? Otherwise you wouldn’t be so sensitive about it!”</p>
<p>“Meanie. It’s not weird.” You tried not to think about the steamy makeout session you’d explained in excruciating detail in your newest chapter. The faithful audience wanted it! You were at their command! “You just don’t get it. Besides, it’s romance stuff and that’s not your thing.”</p>
<p>“You’re right. Sounds booooring. Anyway, are you coming by practice today after classes?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know, you’re being super mean today…I might have other plans.”</p>
<p>Yaku narrowed his eyes at you. “If that’s the case, I’ll just eat both portions of lunch my mom made for us this morning.”</p>
<p>“Yakkun! No! That’s torture!”</p>
<p>Classes were back in session and it was your first year at junior high. You spent your spring vacation with your grandma, just as you promised Kuroo and Kenma. It was less than two weeks, but you made those moments count. It was always difficult to say goodbye. You promised them you would keep in touch.</p>
<p>You wished Kuroo good luck since he would be going to a new school. Kenma was devastated that he wouldn’t be able to spend as much time with his best friend. Still, the two of them lived right next door to each other, so they’d make up for lost time with lots of video game tournaments and volleyball practice at the nearby field.</p>
<p>Kenma mentioned to you that his parents were going to get him one of the new smartphones since they were being released this year, but there was no way your parents would give you that kind of responsibility…yet. You’d have to butter them up a little bit. You could be persuasive when it came to things you really wanted.</p>
<p>You glanced over at Yaku. He swore to you that he was going to grow in the time you were gone. You didn’t notice much of a change at all. You felt a little bad because he was the shortest one on the volleyball team. It made him a great libero, but it was always a sore subject. Especially since he still had to look up at you when you spoke to each other. He also did <em>not</em> appreciate it when his teammates would reach down to ruffle his hair like you did out of habit. It drove him nuts.</p>
<p>“We’re going to be having a real match soon, you know. Not sure who it’ll be yet.” You could see the determination in his gaze, even if he kept his eyes forward and focused on the looming building ahead. “I have to prove to everyone that I can play. The upperclassmen have an advantage, but I’m not going to let them bench me the whole season.”</p>
<p>You patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. When you get that chance to play, you’ll make them regret ever ignoring you in the first place.”</p>
<p>You and Yaku had been friends practically straight out of the womb. Your mothers knew each other from college. Even your dads worked in the exact same office building and spent weekends out drinking with each other to lament over their piles of paperwork.</p>
<p>When you were a kid, Yaku was part of the family. He spent so much time over at your house that he even had his own housekey and section of your closet filled with his clothes.</p>
<p>You’d also had been in the exact same homeroom since you started school. It didn’t matter how many classrooms there were or how many other people excelled around you. Each and every year you would find your names posted outside the school in the same column. It was a little eerie, if you were going to be honest.</p>
<p>“Yaku! Meet you for lunch?” One of the other volleyball players called out to him.</p>
<p>“Sorry! I’ve got plans!”</p>
<p>“Oh, okay. See you at practice!”</p>
<p>You gazed at him for a moment. He felt your eyes on him and his usually placid expression shifted into one of curiosity.</p>
<p>“Something the matter?”</p>
<p>“You don’t have to eat with me, you know. If your mom packed you a bento, I could just take it and find a spot in the courtyard or something.”</p>
<p>He shook his head. “I want to eat with you.”</p>
<p>You weren’t sure if you believed him yet. While you had made a few acquaintances from homeroom, you found yourself keeping others at arm’s length. You felt lost half the time when it came to interacting with other kids. Everyone was so excitable, outgoing, friendly. You bit your tongue and waited for your opportune moments to contribute to conversations, only for your chance never to arrive as the subject switched with ease. You hung back from class participation. If you didn’t have Yaku looking after you, you were sure you would’ve been the last one standing for group projects.</p>
<p>He pinched your arm and you yelped. “Don’t start overthinking, you’ll run out of steam before the test today.”</p>
<p>In response, you dug your fingers in his usually pristine hair and rubbed vigorously, causing his locks to puff up and splay in all different directions.</p>
<p>Classes ticked on. You tapped your mechanical pencil on the desk when trying to think of your answer on the test. You dropped your eraser on your right side and realized it landed pretty far away. You would have to retrieve it later. You once made the mistake of trying to lean over in your chair. Your imbalanced weight lifted one side off the ground and you fell…hard. You could still hear the laughter ringing in your ears if you concentrated hard enough.</p>
<p>“I don’t get why English has to be so confusing. The words sound the same but are spelled differently…”</p>
<p>“No idea. Their, there, they’re…my eyes crossed trying to translate that sentence.”</p>
<p>Yaku held the door to the gym open for you. It looked like several of his teammates were already there and setting up the net. You shuffled off to your usual corner as your best friend disappeared into the locker rooms to get changed.</p>
<p>Truth be told, you found volleyball pretty boring. It was important to Yaku, though – he had fun. So you would support him. You put him through enough torture as it was when sharing character ideas and bad poetry.</p>
<p>You rested your back against the wall and waved at the coach. He was nice enough to let you watch. It wasn’t as if your presence distracted any of the guys. You barely knew any of their names. They mostly just referred to you as “Yaku’s friend”, which while true, was a little hurtful. Mostly because you caught wind of several of their conversations which revolved around girls in their classes they thought were cute. They always remembered <em>their</em> names…</p>
<p>“Let’s warm up with a couple of laps!”</p>
<p>For the next hour and a half, it was squeaking shoes on the court, the resounding smack of flesh against volleyballs, encouraging shouts across the way, hard dives and spikes, sweat and adrenaline. You doodled in your notebook for the most part. You watched Yaku dart this way and that. He was quick on his feet and wasn’t afraid of throwing his whole body weight to prevent the ball from touching the floor. On one particular save, his upperclassmen slapped him on the back and cheered.</p>
<p>After some cool down exercises, everyone was free to go. You gathered your things and waited for Yaku to emerge. He looked sated, as if he didn’t just spend the entire time running around. His stamina was insane. He approached you just as you heard a clap of thunder directly overhead.</p>
<p>“Oi! It’s coming down hard! You guys better get going!” the coach shouted.</p>
<p>No one needed to be told twice. Several guys looked prepared. They threw on their raincoats before darting out to face the rain.</p>
<p>You chewed on your lower lip. You’d been in such a rush today that you forgot your umbrella. Yaku had his own raincoat wrapped tightly around himself, lifting the hood up.</p>
<p>“Where’s your umbrella?”</p>
<p>You shot him a sheepish look. “I was in such a rush this morning, I forgot to put it in my backpack.”</p>
<p>He sighed. “Let’s check to see if there are any extras.”</p>
<p>Instead of heading outside to the courtyard, you ducked over to the main doors of the school. Yaku had hoped they were open. There was a small umbrella stand near each of the exits where people would retire ones they found too unfashionable or old. They weren’t full of holes, though, and that was what mattered.</p>
<p>Too bad the school was already locked up.</p>
<p>“Shoot…”</p>
<p>Both of you stood with your backs against the doors. You were safe under the doorway, but as soon as you inched forward, you’d be drenched. Well, <em>you</em> would. The grass was already sopping wet. Several straggling members ran through and their footsteps left imprints in the mud with a sick squelch. The streetlights seemed dimmer and cloudier through the haze of rain. You sucked in a deep breath. No signs of it stopping now.</p>
<p>Yaku dropped his bag to the ground and started to shrug off his jacket. You stared at him in confusion. Before you could protest, he offered it to you.</p>
<p>“Put this on.”</p>
<p>“You’re kidding, right? There’s no way I can fit my forearm through one of the sleeves.” You pushed it back his way.</p>
<p>“At least try and wrap it around yourself.”</p>
<p>“I’m telling you it’s not big enough!” You knew your size well. “It’s fine.”</p>
<p>He sighed. He knew you were right. You appreciated the thought, but there was just no way. Yaku stepped forward and peered at you apologetically through the hood of his jacket. You ignored him and took the plunge, stepping out into the cold shower that immediately doused you from head to toe. Your hair stuck to your face and cheeks. Your uniform absorbed enough water for it to sag. You flinched at the way your socks squished around in your shoes with every step.</p>
<p>“We can run?”</p>
<p>“You know I won’t be able to keep up. Let’s just go.”</p>
<p>It was hard to talk since the storm was so loud. Between the sheets of rain and lightning inching closer, you didn’t even bother opening your mouth. Side by side, the two of you headed down the road to your homes.</p>
<p>“See you tomorrow. Make sure to take a hot bath, okay?”</p>
<p>“I will. Bye!”</p>
<p>You stepped inside your home and sighed. No one was home yet. You would just have to rinse yourself off and clean up your dripping mess later.</p>
<p>At least the water felt nice. You turned the temperature up until the bathroom was steaming, glad to rinse away the School Gods’ gift for you. Yeah. Just what you needed. To be soaked to the bone. You lingered in the shower for far longer than you needed to, trying to wrap yourself up in its warmth for as long as you could.</p>
<p>After you wrapped your hair up in a towel and changed into a fluffy robe, you cleaned up the puddles you left in the doorway. Once you were satisfied with your work, you entered your room and curled up on the bed.</p>
<p>The phone rang just in time. You’d convinced your parents to at least install one in your room. You picked up the receiver and snuggled more into your comforter.</p>
<p>“Hey guys.”</p>
<p>“Hi.”</p>
<p>“’Sup. We just finished prepping Kenma for his upcoming history test. He’s sure to get top marks with me helping him!”</p>
<p>You chuckled. Kuroo was kind. He knew that Kenma struggled with academics and always took it upon himself to tutor since he was a year older. A small price to pay for a longlasting friendship. You knew how he felt. You’d done the same with Yaku.</p>
<p>“Didn’t you have a test today?” Kenma asked softly. It took a long time of you training your ears to pick up his mumbled words on the phone. You were proud to say that you were perfectly fluent in Kenma-nese.</p>
<p>“Yup, I totally aced it.”</p>
<p>“Wanna bet on that?” Kuroo sounded so smug even over the phone. How did he even do that?</p>
<p>“Sure. If I’m right, you have to buy Kenma an apple pie every week until summer break.”</p>
<p>Kuroo paused for a moment. Got him. “You’re that confident, huh? I don’t have that big of an allowance. So…one pie every <em>other</em> week. And if I win, you have to write a story about how cool my hair is.”</p>
<p>Your eyes narrowed. A risky move, but you would never deny your best friend’s sweet tooth. “Deal. Kenma, prepare your tastebuds for heaven.”</p>
<p>You chatted on the phone for another half hour. You hadn’t realized you were slipping in and out of sleep until you heard your name being called. Kuroo told you to grab something to eat before you crashed out. You didn’t have dinner yet, but you had snacked on some stuff during practice, so you didn’t feel like going all the way to the kitchen to make something. You said your goodbyes and curled up into your bed, dozing off almost immediately.</p>
<p>You already knew when your alarm went off that something was wrong. You shuddered in your bed and tried to gain more warmth. Your entire body ached. Your head pounded. You curled into a ball and waited until you heard your bedroom door opening before you moved.</p>
<p>“You’re going to be late if you don’t get up.” Your mom reached over and gripped the edge of the blanket, trying to tug it off you. You resisted. “We’re not playing this game. I don’t care if you have gym class today, you have to go to school.”</p>
<p>“Mmm…I don’t feel good.”</p>
<p>“Oh, please. What is it today you’re trying to avoid? Rope climbing? Swimming? Soccer?” Your mom pried it away from your weakened grip and her attitude flipped a complete one-eighty. “Honey, you’re sweating!”</p>
<p>You swallowed and ignored the dull pang in your throat. “I got caught in the rain yesterday.”</p>
<p>She sighed. She pressed the back of her hand against your forehead and you leaned into her skin. It felt so nice and cool. “You’re burning up. I’m going to get you some medicine. Do you want me to call out of work? I can stay here.”</p>
<p>“It’s okay. I’ll just sleep it off.”</p>
<p>You drifted in and out of consciousness when you heard her shuffle around the bathroom. You could hear your dad asking what was going on. He picked up the phone and dialed the school while she made you a medical cocktail that would hopefully lower your temperature.</p>
<p>You heard a knock on the door and shifted, barely able to look over your shoulder. Yaku stood in the doorway, his brows furrowed together.</p>
<p>“So you got sick, huh? If you weren’t so weak right now, I’d definitely smack you! I told you that you should’ve used my jacket!”</p>
<p>You huffed. “I’m sick, don’t bully me, Yakkun!”</p>
<p>He lingered in the doorway, not wanting to venture further in and risk infection. “I’ll make sure to take notes for you and grab your homework. Just…try and focus on getting better, okay?”</p>
<p>“Mm…okay.”</p>
<p>“I really hope you get well in time for…ah, never mind.” He sighed, turning heel and giving you a halfhearted wave. “I’ll stop by later with the stuff!”</p>
<p>“Bye…”</p>
<p>It took you two whole days to get over your illness. The first night was the worst. You couldn’t get warm and you were too weak to talk with Kuroo and Kenma as was your routine. You could barely get any food down without feeling nauseous. Thankfully, with a little bit of time, lots of rest, and care from your family and friends, you were feeling better just in time for the weekend.</p>
<p>You stretched your arms over your head and dialed Yaku’s number. He had a phone in his room. Surprisingly, there was no answer. You tried again and were surprised when his mom picked up.</p>
<p>“Oh, Morisuke? He had a volleyball game today. He was very excited about it. It was a little last minute, but they’re hosting it at the school gym. He left about half an hour ago. I would’ve gone, but I have to pick up some documents later today for my client.”</p>
<p>You paled. No way. That was the one he’d been looking forward to! You thanked her and immediately launched out of bed, rushing to the shower and hopping in. You didn’t have time to wash your hair, but the least you could do was scald your body and rub off any remaining sickness that lingered on your skin.</p>
<p>If you played your cards right, then the two teams would still be warming up. You didn’t have time to second-guess yourself. This was important to Yaku. He needed you there. Despite just getting over your illness, you launched into a full-out sprint when you exited your house, making a beeline for your school.</p>
<p>Everything was in full swing when you got there. Unfamiliar people lingered on the school grounds, all of them heading to the gym so they could file inside. You dodged and slipped around them, apologizing when you managed to shoulder-check them, focusing in on your goal.</p>
<p>Your lungs burned in your chest as you tried to catch your breath. You could feel the droplets of sweat bead at your hairline and slip down to your nose, blurring your vision for a brief moment. You wiped it away with the back of your hand, darting inside the open double doors into the air-conditioned room.</p>
<p>The game had already started. Damn! You excused yourself, stepping back to scan the bleachers for an open spot with the best view. You found one smack dab in the middle. It was in the upper stands, though. You chewed your lower lip and nearly went for it when you heard your name being called.</p>
<p>“You can sit over here.” You approached the coach warily. He had his arms crossed and shot you a knowing smile. “You look like you just ran a marathon. Weren’t you sick?”</p>
<p>You nodded sheepishly. “I wanted to be here for Yakkun.”</p>
<p>“Well, you’re a loyal fan, that’s for sure. I’m sure he’d appreciate the support. He begged me to let him play the first set.”</p>
<p>You gasped. You hadn’t even noticed, but it made perfect sense. If Yaku was still on the sidelines, he would’ve jumped up and greeted you as soon as he saw you come in.</p>
<p>You swallowed and dragged your eyes to the court. You zeroed in on him. He looked so determined. He was dressed in your school colors with an official jersey. He had his body lowered to the ground, bringing down his center of gravity, legs spread and fingers twitching in excitement. He was ready. He was focused. When that ball came his way, he was going to make sure it never had a chance to even think about hitting the floor.</p>
<p>The opposing team sent a spike over the net and all of your blockers jumped a millisecond too late. You could scarcely keep up. It whizzed through the air and its trajectory was within bounds. Your heart sat in your throat as you forgot how to breathe. Its free-fall was interrupted by Yaku making a hard dive onto the floor, his fist bumping the ball upwards and sending it back into play.</p>
<p>“YEAH! GO YAKKUN!” You couldn’t help yourself. The grin split across your face. He didn’t seem to notice or hear you, but that was fine. You didn’t want to distract him.</p>
<p>The referee whistled and indicated another point made for your school. You were in awe. Your school was sweeping this set no problem.</p>
<p>“I don’t know if we should get cocky. I mean, they’ve won every single game this season so far,” one of the team members muttered to his friend. “If they snag this one then there’s definitely no stopping them.”</p>
<p>“Yaku’s doing awesome, though! He’s put the ball back in our hands like five times!”</p>
<p>Your heart swelled with pride at that. They were right. Yaku was making a huge impression on his upperclassmen so far. Despite being a first-year player, he had the makings of a phenomenal libero. Everyone could see it.</p>
<p>You tried to keep up with the plays. It was insane. You  were in junior high, sure, but everyone was taking this game seriously. You were never a competitive person, so the feeling was a little foreign to you. With every block and spike, you found yourself more pumped for your team to take the point. You were getting into this!</p>
<p>One of their players was up to serve. He sent the ball flying over the net and into your territory. Players from the back row hit it forward in attempt to set the spikers up for a clean shot. You found your eyes glued on the setter as he tossed it. Your player swung his arm down to spike, only for someone on the other team to jump up and successfully block it. It slapped against his hands and careened backwards at an odd angle. Multiple people ran towards it, realizing it was about to strike down on a part of the court left unguarded. You held your breath and watched as Yaku slid into view, arm outstretched, aiming with perfect precision and successfully knocking the ball back into the air.</p>
<p>Everyone gasped in the crowd and thunderous cheers came from your side. You hadn’t realized you were clapping until you felt the slight sting on your palms. Yaku’s save gave your team another chance to spike. There was no one to block this time. The ball soared and bounced as it hit the ground, earning you the winning point in your second – and final – set.</p>
<p>The team shared a series of high-fives with each other. Some of them tackled their teammates and sent them spiraling to the ground. Yaku was in the middle of his seniors, his eyes alight with adrenaline. He was overwhelmed with his upperclassmen’s praise, judging by the bright grin on his face.</p>
<p>It was customary for both teams to line up and shake hands. A little nod to sportsmanship. Not that it really meant much to a bunch of kids. Several of the opposing players looked hurt and devastated at their loss. You could understand why. They busted their asses to get to the top of the food chain, and your school had successfully toppled them with ease.</p>
<p>You could hear the people behind you clamor as parents headed for their kids. You wasted no time. You cut across the court and rushed over to Yaku’s side, water bottle in hand.</p>
<p>“Morisuke! You were so cool out there. I can’t believe you were holding out on me! I’ve never seen you play like that before!”</p>
<p>His hand wrapped around the water bottle and he took a long swig, his cheeks ruddy. You weren't sure if it was from exhaustion or embarrassment at this point. “Thanks. I can’t believe you came.”</p>
<p>“You should’ve told me you had a game!”</p>
<p>“I did. Like three times. Then again, you were kind of out of it…” He chuckled. “I guess that’s the last time I try to talk to you when you’ve got a fever.”</p>
<p>You beamed at him. “Well, I’m glad I got here in time. I would’ve never forgiven myself if I missed your big moment.” Unable to contain yourself, you wrapped him in a huge hug, nearly lifting him off the ground. “I’m gonna come to all your games!”</p>
<p>“Hey,” he huffed, struggling. “Put me down!”</p>
<p>You stepped back and chuckled. He was red all the way to the tips of his ears.</p>
<p>You scanned over the gym, giving Yaku a chance to settle down so he could catch his breath. You realized there was someone standing not too far off from where you were. Their body language was rigid, arms dangling limply at their sides. Their hands drew into a fist. You blinked and ran your eyes up to their face, wondering why they seemed so familiar, only for your blood to turn to ice.</p>
<p>“Kuroo?”</p>
<p>The boy in question bit his lip and turned away from you. He rushed off somewhere. It was him, you were sure of it. You would recognize that bedhead anywhere.</p>
<p>“Hey, where are you going?” Yaku called after you. You ignored him.</p>
<p>You hadn’t even realized who your school was playing! You were such an idiot. Of <em>course</em> it would be Kuroo’s school. He had mentioned just this past week that he would be in an upcoming match. He and Yaku weren’t informed of their opponents until the last minute, and you’d been so ill you hadn’t been able to hear it from him directly.</p>
<p>That meant this entire time you were lending support for your school, Kuroo had to hear you actively cheer against him.</p>
<p>A bunch of people blocked your path and you nearly lost sight of him. “Excuse me!” you called out, trying to move around them. None of them seemed to hear you given the hundreds of conversations echoing in the gym.</p>
<p>You let out a noise of frustration and tried to squeeze in-between a couple of them, only for you to miscalculate the amount of space versus your body. You ended up pushing the guy behind you backwards and nearly knocked him off his feet. He was pissed. You ignored the jeers and headed toward the far doors, bursting through them without any more hesitation.</p>
<p>It was so much quieter out here. The chaos inside would continue for a while, but you could finally hear yourself think. You wrapped your arms around yourself, scanning the open field for any sign of Kuroo. You knew you’d seen him leave the building. Where could he have gone? He wasn’t exactly familiar with your school.</p>
<p>“Kuroo?” You felt silly calling out to him like this. You just didn’t want him to get the wrong idea about everything. “Kuroo, I’m sorry! Please come out!”</p>
<p>You strained for any kind of response. None. You exhaled and let out the deep breath that you’d been holding in your gut. You lingered in your spot for a moment. What were you supposed to do now? There weren’t many places to hide out here. He might’ve just rounded the building and ran back to the bus he came on.</p>
<p>Well, there was one place you hadn’t checked. The small storage shack off to the side. You approached it not really expecting much. It was a last resort.</p>
<p>You lingered outside of the door and turned the knob. The light from outside poured into the empty room. Yeah. You thought so. You stared at the dust, cobwebs and deflated soccer balls. You sighed and stepped backwards, letting the door close with a soft click.</p>
<p>You slumped down to the ground. Your knuckles were tangled in the fabric of your skirt. You were the worst friend ever.</p>
<p><em>Sniffle</em>.</p>
<p>You reached up and touched your cheeks. Were you crying? You didn’t think so. When your fingers came back dry, you realized you hadn’t made that sound.</p>
<p>Easing over to the corner, you peered around it. No one. So then…? You scooted to the next edge of the building and slowly leaned forward.</p>
<p>You were shocked to see Kuroo sitting there. He had his knees drawn to his chest, head buried in them. The sharp intakes of breath were coming from him.</p>
<p>You weren't sure what to say to him. Should you apologize? Pretend like nothing was amiss? Tease him a little bit for pulling the disappearing act on you? None of those seemed like good options. You crawled just a little bit closer to him.</p>
<p>“Kuroo…” you murmured. “It’s okay to cry, you know.”</p>
<p>He didn’t say anything. For once, he was speechless. You’d never seen him this closed off before. Sure, there were times where he lost confidence in himself and got a little shy or tongue-tied. Kenma told you that when they first met, he was so different. Volleyball gave him the confidence he so desperately needed. So for him to lose such an important game…you couldn’t imagine how he must have felt.</p>
<p>You reached forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. He stiffened at your touch. You let your fingers trail up his neck until they threaded in the messy hair on top of his head. You stroked it softly, trying to get him to realize that it didn’t matter to you what happened in the gym. You were here for him now.</p>
<p>Kuroo’s legs dropped to the ground. He didn’t lift his head, but he didn’t have to. You sank down lower and pulled him into your chest to let him cry there. He was limp and his fingers dug into the grass.</p>
<p>You bit your lip. You could already feel the tears soak through your shirt. He didn’t make too many noises. It didn’t matter to you. You spent the next few minutes in welcomed silence, save for the slight huffs of Kuroo as he got the tears out. You were more than happy to be a glorified tissue if it meant he would learn it was okay to show some vulnerability.</p>
<p>Once he had gotten his fill, he moved away from you just enough so you could finally take a look at his face. It wasn’t exactly pretty. His cheeks were red, his eyes bloodshot, tear trails drying on his skin. His lips quivered and his nose was still running. He sniffed in hard to make sure none of it ran down his chin.</p>
<p>“Feel better?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” he mumbled. “It was stupid.”</p>
<p>“No, it wasn’t.” You forced him to keep eye contact with you. “Volleyball is important to you. So was this game. I never really understood it, but…I can see how much you love it. I’m sorry that I wasn’t cheering for you. I really had no idea you were here.”</p>
<p>He flinched, brows furrowed. “Who was the guy you were with?” he asked quietly.</p>
<p>“That’s Yakkun. Er, Yaku. He and I have been friends since we were babies.” You chewed on the inside of your lower lip. “He’s in the club, too.”</p>
<p>Kuroo didn’t say anything else. You weren’t sure why he asked. Maybe because he assumed you didn’t have anyone in your life aside from him and Kenma? You felt like things would get worse if you pushed the issue, so you didn’t.</p>
<p>“I know I wasn’t really watching you, but I know for a fact that you’re a great player. I’ve never seen you on the court before. Now I’m sad I missed it. But…” You cupped his face in your hands and swiped your thumb across his cheek, removing a stubborn tear that clung to his lashes. “I can make it up to you. I’ll cheer for you at the next game. And the next.”</p>
<p>“And the next?” he smirked, some of his sass returning.</p>
<p>“Uh, yeah. Duh.”</p>
<p>You made a move to separate from him, seeing as how he must’ve been overheating from your bodies in such close proximity. It would explain the flushed state of his skin. However, when you tried to pull back, you felt a sharp pain and immense pressure on the crown of your head.</p>
<p>“Ouch!”</p>
<p>“You okay?”</p>
<p>“Ugh…” You winced and lifted a hand to your hair, feeling the taut strands in midair. “My hair is caught on something.”</p>
<p>You followed the strands down and realized that it was attached to something on Kuroo. What the heck? You couldn’t see what it was, not when your head was angled funny. Your hands roamed around blindly as you tried to find the source of your troubles. Kuroo tried to help too, though his movement was limited. When he tried to crane his neck down to see what it was, it jerked your head forward and squeezed a pained cry out of you.</p>
<p>“Are you wearing your hoodie? Over your jersey?”</p>
<p>“I got cold and it was the first thing I grabbed from the bench…”</p>
<p>“Dude!”</p>
<p>Kuroo laughed. His voice didn’t sound as shaky. “It’s not my fault your stupid gym is freezing. I probably had icicles in my hair from the dried sweat.”</p>
<p>“You’re so dumb.” You brushed your finger along his zipper. Yup, that was it. This was where everything went wrong. You tugged lightly on it, only to realize that was the wrong move. Your head dipped downwards as your hair wrapped even tighter around its teeth.</p>
<p>“Wait, let me do it.”</p>
<p>He drew it back up in an attempt to unravel it. It did not work. At all. If anything, you could tell he was more frustrated than ever. He wiggled the slider and huffed. You were getting nowhere.</p>
<p>“So this is how I die…” you muttered. “Thank you for everything, Mom and Dad. There were still so many things I wanted to do. Dogs that needed to be pet. Cats that needed to be kissed. Anime that needed to be watched.”</p>
<p>Kuroo broke out into a fit of laughter. The trembling of his shoulders only twisted your hair further. You screeched at him to stop. He didn’t listen.</p>
<p>When he finally settled down, you scowled. “Kuroo. Just. Hands off, okay? I know what I have to do.”</p>
<p>You knocked his hand away and grabbed the base of the tangled hair. With a quick yank, you tore the remaining strands straight out of the zipper. Since you made sure you didn’t pull anywhere near your scalp, it didn’t hurt. Hearing the harsh sound of your hair being ripped out did make you a little nauseous. You didn’t even want to see the damage.</p>
<p>You ran your fingers through what was left of that section of hair and exhaled. Sheesh. At least you managed to distract him from why he felt so awful.</p>
<p>Kuroo cleaned up his zipper. He tore away the rebellious strands that still clung to his hoodie. He watched them fall to the ground and then his eyes trailed up to you.</p>
<p>“Your hair’s really long,” he muttered, brows furrowed. “Doesn’t it get in the way?”</p>
<p>“Pfft. You mean like just now? Kinda. But I don’t go around hugging random people like that, so…” You grabbed one of his strings on his sweatshirt and tugged down hard on it, making the other fly up towards his hood. He was already annoyed that they were uneven, and he nearly lost the string in the hole it was threaded through. “You’re special.”</p>
<p>He grinned.</p>
<p>You stood up and tossed your hair over your shoulder, extending a hand towards him. “Let’s get outta here. Hopefully the bus didn’t leave without you.”</p>
<p>“I’m their star player. No way.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure you didn’t get a concussion during the game?”</p>
<p>He didn’t let go of you hand until he left the school.</p>
<p>Yaku was not happy when you walked home together. He had that pinched look on his face. You once told him it looked like he was constipated. He did not appreciate it. You both knew it was true, though.</p>
<p>“I’m guessing that was Kuroo?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, it was.” You shot him an uncomfortable smile. “I didn’t know he’d be playing today. If you guys are up against each other again, I’m gonna root for both of you. Just a heads up.”</p>
<p>Yaku’s grip on his gym bag handle tightened. He shifted gears and quickened his pace, leaving you trailing after him.</p>
<p>Boys were dumb, you reminded yourself. That was a good explanation for everything.</p>
<p>For the rest of the year, true to your word, you attended every single versus game. It was really the only way you could see Kuroo play. You stood off to the sidelines, never venturing to stand with either team. It made things fair. You cheered for Kuroo when he blocked. You yelled out admiration for Yaku when he saved the ball. You were sure people gave you weird looks, but you couldn’t care less. Not when the two of them meant so much to you.</p>
<p>Yaku was serious when he was on the court. An underclassmen with the ability to fit in with his older teammates was a serious feat. He kept his eyes forward, ears trained. His reflexes were catlike. He never responded to your encouragement, nor did you expect him to.</p>
<p>Kuroo was more playful. He wanted to win, sure, but he always made time to show off a little bit when you were there. He waved or shot you a salute with his cheesy grin. He jumped a little higher when he knew your eyes were trained on him. He was always calculating, reading his opponents, a taunting smirk blooming on his face when he managed to interrupt their plays with pinpoint accuracy.</p>
<p>“I’ll call you later tonight. Kenma’s been wanting to talk to you.”</p>
<p>“Whaaat? For real? I could die happy. All of those apple pies weren’t bought in vain. I’m finally being accepted into his life…” You sighed dramatically. “Pinch me, Kuroo. OW! NOT SO HARD!”</p>
<p>He crossed his arms, lingering outside the bus, and you watched him narrow his eyes past your shoulder. What the heck? When you turned, you could spot Yaku walking the other way. Kuroo pretended like nothing happened, but you knew there was some kind of weird rivalry going on between them. They were driven first-years with a knack for volleyball. It made sense.</p>
<p>A sudden rush of wind went through you and pushed your hair past your shoulders, sending it fluttering to the side like a cascade of ribbons. You tucked what you could behind your ears. When you happened to look up, Kuroo had his full attention on your hair as it settled.</p>
<p>“Anyways, I gotta catch up with Yakkun. See ya!” You stepped backwards and waved goodbye. Kuroo returned it halfheartedly.</p>
<p>You darted in the direction your childhood friend ran off to. You were looking forward to spending the rest of your year watching the both of them bloom into their team’s most valuable players, whether they noticed or not.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>yaku's nickname is hilarious and i needed to include it in this chapter. reader called him "mocchan" growing up but he got embarrassed and made her change it. as if "yakkun" is any less adorable. </p>
<p>i always find it hilarious when i'm reading a fic and the reader wears the guys' jerseys and they're huge on her. that's why i had to include the bit with yaku trying to be chivalrous and just looking like a big dumby.</p>
<p>thank you all so much for reading! i love your comments and really appreciate them! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Dogs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which the season isn't the only thing that's changed.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>funny story: after i wrote this entire chapter, i looked up when the last big snow day was in tokyo and it was like...2014. nothing before then. so please listen to the ever-so gracious Suspension of Disbelief for this.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tendrils of steam wafted from the spout of the kettle on the stove. Your grandma waited patiently underneath the kotatsu for its telltale whistle. You made sure she was nice and cozy before letting her know you’d be heading out. She adjusted her reading glasses and pressed the tip of her pen to the crossword puzzle book she carried around nearly everywhere. You still had no idea how she managed to zero in on the vague and infuriatingly specific clues.</p>
<p>“Don’t forget your coat, dear. It’s a lot colder than it looks.”</p>
<p>“Okay, okay…” You opened the closet door and reached for the nearest one on the hanger. Hopefully it fit. There was always the brief moment of dread when you tried to put it on where you wondered if a.) you could get your arms through the sleeves and b.) if the buttons lining the front would actually close without popping back open.</p>
<p>Success. You adjusted the hood, so it wasn’t flipped inside the collar, and reached inside the pockets for gloves. She wouldn’t let you go out without them. Even if the material made your hands sweat and itch after more than five minutes of wearing it. You slung your backpack over your shoulder and fumbled with the straps to make sure it wasn’t digging in so much.</p>
<p>“Have fun. Please let them know I’m grateful for the care package they dropped off last week. It was very sweet.”</p>
<p>“Yup. I will. See you in a few days!”</p>
<p>You exited the front door and braced yourself for the drop in temperature. Suddenly a spot underneath the heated blanket inside didn’t seem like such a bad idea. You pulled your phone out of your pocket and sent a quick text to let them know you were on your way. Just so they’d be ready to greet you at the door or at least leave it unlocked.</p>
<p>The clouds were foreboding, to say the least. Heavy in the sky, dipping far below what you were comfortable with, converging together in a sickly gray mass. You squinted to avoid any of the fat flakes falling directly into your eyes. Colors were muted all around you, masked by the onslaught of fresh snow.</p>
<p>Despite your heavy outfit, the wind sliced at your skin, eager to draw blood just underneath its surface. Your boots crunched with every step forward, though barely audible from beyond your earmuffs. You watched the pattern underneath your shoes sink into the snow, leaving a trail behind you that would disappear within the next hour, give or take.</p>
<p>Some might say the world around you was picturesque. That it was a winter wonderland!</p>
<p>Those people would be dead wrong.</p>
<p>“Fucking shit, cold as fuck, I fucking hate winter,” you muttered under your breath. Not many people were out on the streets when it was like this. They were the smart ones.</p>
<p>You shuddered in your jacket and forced yourself to keep going. Anyone who used the excuse that fat people were okay in cold temperatures because they had a thicker layer were just ignorant. It didn’t matter how much you weighed. It was cold enough to freeze water. Cold enough that people wandered around dressed head to toe in enough wool to rebuild some sheep from the ground up. Your pudgy midsection did nothing to save you from this!</p>
<p>At least the house wasn’t too far away. Just a few more blocks. You glanced down at your hands and tugged at the tips of your mittens. Your fingers were already one hundred percent done with the way they constricted around you.</p>
<p>When you brought your eyes back up ahead, you realized there was someone heading right for you. Their hood was up, faux fur lined all around it, obscuring their face from view. Sheesh. Way to hog the sidewalk. There was plenty of room, so why were they making it a point to be in your direct path?</p>
<p>Annoyed, you steeled yourself. No way. You were tired of people with terrible pedestrian etiquette. You were always the one to move over and hug the edge of concrete just because you felt bad. Not. Today. This guy was going to adjust himself or you’d collide. You weren’t going to let him bully you.</p>
<p>Easier said than done. Despite your bravado, it didn’t look like he was in the mood to play. Your stomach was in knots from a possible confrontation between the two of you. Still, you pressed forward, trying to stop yourself from conjuring up about a thousand scenarios where he turned on you with a pocketknife and a snarl.</p>
<p>You were close enough to hug now. You chickened out at the last minute, taking a long stride to your right, narrowly avoiding the both of you colliding.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” you muttered. You were not!</p>
<p>You kept walking. You could tell that the guy behind you stopped. You didn’t think much of it…until their pace picked back up, and the sounds of their steps crept dangerously close.</p>
<p>You flinched when the guy wheeled around you, planting himself firmly in front. You were floored. What was his problem? You lifted your eyes to meet his. At the same time, his fingers hooked around the edges of his hood and pushed back to reveal…</p>
<p>A cocky, familiar smile.</p>
<p>“Kuroo?” you sputtered. “What the hell?”</p>
<p>He laughed. “Dude, you didn’t recognize me?”</p>
<p>“No! You’re <em>huge!</em>” You gestured to his body. He wasn’t the scrawny twerp that you remembered from just a few months ago. “Did you get thrown into radioactive sludge or something?”</p>
<p>Kuroo pushed his hair back from his forehead. He looked oddly proud of himself. “Knew you’d be speechless. I have that effect on people.”</p>
<p>“Good to know puberty didn’t humble you. Otherwise I definitely wouldn’t have known it was you.”</p>
<p>You squinted at him. His features had shifted so much. All of the softness of his face melted away with his added height. His jawline was much more defined. His shoulders were broad, hands easily encompassing yours. You hadn’t realized he grabbed it until you felt him tug you in the direction you were going in.</p>
<p>“I texted you I would meet you halfway. Guess you didn’t read it. Let’s go.”</p>
<p>You were still in a state of shock. It really hadn’t been that long since you last met up. Bodies were so weird. Kuroo could actually look down on you now. You weren’t sure if you liked it or not. He seemed much more confident and self-assured.</p>
<p>He glanced at you from the corner of his eye and grinned. “Staring is rude, y’know.”</p>
<p>“Uh…well…” you stammered. You’d never been intimidated by him before. He only squeezed your hand in response, both of you returning your attention to the path to his house.</p>
<p>You walked in silence. Part of it was because you were still reeling from his sudden glow-up. Another was because if you opened your mouth, you knew you would spew out more obscenities about how horrible it was outside.</p>
<p>Kuroo wrapped his hand around the doorknob and stepped inside, you following suit. You made quick work of disrobing and shucking your shoes off. You felt so much better being out of the cold. Life returned to your extremities. You happily hung up your coat in the nearby closet and adjusted your sweater and leggings.</p>
<p>“Hey,” you heard someone say from just beyond the entrance. Your eyes lit up.</p>
<p>“Kenma!”</p>
<p>He flinched at first, a little surprised at your burst of excitement, but that soon melted into a warm smile. “It’s good to see you.”</p>
<p>You took him into a short hug and stepped back, running your eyes over him. “Hmm, you don’t look that different. Are you sure that’s really Kuroo? He’s like a hulking monster now.”</p>
<p>“I’m right here,” Kuroo chuckled. “She freaked out Kenma, you should’ve seen it. She was like, ‘oh, excuse me, sir…so sorry’ and then totally swerved me.”</p>
<p>“It’s not my fault! I thought you were some weirdo trying to pickpocket me or something. Like you shoulder check me and shove your hand in my pocket. You could’ve called my name or something.”</p>
<p>All three of you made your way to the kitchen. You were ecstatic to find that there were drinks waiting for you. Kenma went with some apple cider. You grabbed the mug filled to the brim with hot chocolate, humming in appreciation at the way the ceramic warmed your fingertips. You brought the rim to your lips and sipped at it.</p>
<p>“Grandma wanted me to tell you guys thanks for the gift basket you got her.”</p>
<p>“Heh, it was no big deal.” Kuroo shrugged. “We had way too much food.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, sorry. I thought for sure I’d be able to make it last weekend. Sucks my dad’s car broke down. I could’ve gone on the train, but my mom heard about another girl getting groped, so she was like, ‘oh hell no!’”</p>
<p>All of you settled in the living room. You sat in the middle of both of them. The TV was on and it looked like it was some kind of documentary on deep sea creatures. Kuroo was such a nerd. You snatched the remote before he could, switching it to an anime you knew all of you could watch without starting a fight for best character.</p>
<p>You were grateful that your parents were lax when it came to your friendship with Kuroo and Kenma. They had met them numerous times and your grandma’s tales of grandeur on their kindness did wonders to ease their minds.</p>
<p>Most teenaged girls wouldn’t get a chance to spend the entire weekend with her two male friends. You made sure to explain to both of them that no, you were <em>not</em> dating either of them, and <em>no,</em> you didn’t spend your time sneaking out to get in trouble or fooling around in their respective bedrooms. You literally just played video games, watched movies and anime, and practiced volleyball.</p>
<p>“It should stop snowing in a couple of hours. I’ve got something fun planned.” Kuroo shifted in his seat. “You’re gonna love it.”</p>
<p>You immediately made eye contact with Kenma. “You’re lying. Kenma’s face says it all.”</p>
<p>“Dude…”</p>
<p>The Winter Gods were kind on this day, because true to Kuroo’s words, the afternoon sun finally broke through. It didn’t melt anything, but at least it warmed up enough to appreciate the view. You had to admit, from inside the house, it did look pretty. Sparkling tufts of snow just begging for some cute kids to mold it into a snowman. You drew a heart on the foggy window, the glass ice-cold against the pads of your fingers.</p>
<p>You left the house and started down the street together. As many times as you came through here, you still had no clue where Kuroo could be taking you. He was a man on a mission. His freakishly long legs made it so walked far ahead of you without even trying.</p>
<p>You and Kenma hung back, chatting with each other, trying to catch up on school and the like. He and Kuroo were finally going to the same school again. You were a little envious. As much as you loved Yaku, you wished there was a way for all of you to hang out at school. You were happy that neither of them seemed to be growing apart. Friendships were a dime a dozen in the jungle that was junior high.</p>
<p>“Check it out. What do you think?”</p>
<p>You drank in the sight before you. People all around you were dressed in weather appropriate clothes for the cold, beanies with puffballs attached to the tops, scarves wrapped tightly around their necks, thick gloves and heavy coats. They were prepared to file into the giant ice rink that lay just ahead.</p>
<p>Aside from the excited conversations surrounding you, you could hear the gentle scraping of sharpened blades against ice. Some of the people out there looked like they did this for a living. They moved gracefully, gliding along in wide loops, hands interlocked and even drawing their friends and loved ones into haphazard spins. An occasional child fell down but were swiftly picked up by their parents, who laughed good-naturedly before setting off to give them another shot.</p>
<p>“Oh, <em>hell</em> no.”</p>
<p>“What?” Kuroo laughed, grabbing your arm and tugging you toward the line. “Don’t be such a scaredy-cat.”</p>
<p>“What are you, five?” you huffed. “There’s no way I’m going out there. I’m going to fall and everyone is gonna laugh at me!”</p>
<p>“Lots of people fall when they first start skating, it’s not a big deal.” He was unperturbed by your clear lack of enthusiasm. “Don’t worry, I’ll scrape you off the floor if you can’t get up. Or I’ll flag down the maintenance guy with the weird machine that fixes the ice. He can just use it to pull you back to safety.”</p>
<p>You weren’t sure what his game was. He knew you weren’t exactly the lightest person on your feet. You really didn’t want to do this. Call it social anxiety or big-baby-itis, you didn’t care. There were a lot of people out here. People who would snicker openly if they saw someone your size keep dropping to the ground like a sack of potatoes. After all, fat people’s bodies were inherently comedic if you looked literally anywhere in the media. They were just sentient jokes! Slapstick humor incarnate!</p>
<p>You knew Kuroo wasn’t like that. He wouldn’t embarrass you on purpose – not when it came to your size, anyway. Even in the midst of several childish arguments, he never used your weight as ammunition to cut you down. He didn’t make fun of your appetite or the way you ate. He wasn’t critical at all.</p>
<p>Still, you wished you could express to him in a way that he’d understand just why you were so uncomfortable. Heading into the rink was like watching yourself step off the edge of a cliff.</p>
<p>It was getting closer to your turn. Your eyes darted to people going in and out. It seemed like every single person who headed inside had done this before. You swallowed hard and gripped the tips of your gloves, yanking on them to give you some semblance of control.</p>
<p>“Hey, you okay?” Kuroo had an eyebrow perked as he gazed down at you.</p>
<p>“I-I don’t know if I can do this,” you admitted. “There’s a lot of people here.”</p>
<p>“Yeah…guess there is.” He craned his neck backwards and ran his eyes over the ever-growing line. “Listen, why don’t we wait until it’s not so crowded?”</p>
<p>You flinched. “But we’ve been here for a while. Why would you wanna give up your spot?”</p>
<p>He shrugged noncommittally and gestured for you to follow him. “It’s fine, the rink isn’t going anywhere.”</p>
<p>“Kenma, are you okay with this?” You really hoped you didn’t make him upset. He was the last person you wanted to disappoint.</p>
<p>The boy in question shook his head. “I don’t mind.” He already had his phone out and was in the middle of playing one of his favorite mobile games.</p>
<p>You exhaled shakily and trailed after Kuroo, guilt gnawing at your insides.</p>
<p>There was a small park not too far from the rink. You weren’t sure where you were going. Not many people out here. You lifted a hand and squinted. The harsh sun was reflecting a lot of light off the ground and snow blindness was definitely a thing. As soon as you blinked your way back to normal, something cold and wet splashed against your face.</p>
<p>“What the hell!” you sputtered, hands drawn to your nose. “Did you just…throw a snowball at me?”</p>
<p>“You’re way too serious. Thought you needed some lightening up.” Kuroo reared his arm back and pelted you again, this time it landed smack dab against your chest. “Hey, don’t move, I’ll give you a matching set.”</p>
<p>You were able to dodge the next one and the sudden jerk of your body caused you to lose your balance and topple into the snow. Kuroo snickered at you and already gathered a new snowball in his hand, packing it tight enough where it wouldn’t disintegrate once he sent it flying.</p>
<p>“What is it with you and throwing your balls in my face?!”</p>
<p>He cackled. “I can’t help it. It’s not my fault you take it so well.”</p>
<p>“You’re gross!” You stood up and armed yourself with your own snowball, squishing it within your palms. It had to be compact. He needed a good knock on the head so he wouldn’t mess with you after this.</p>
<p>You snapped your arm back and thrust it forward. Kuroo hadn’t realized you’d done this a few times, because you hit him dead on. The force of it surprised him. He flew backwards into a large drift, arms and legs spread like he was able to make a snow angel.</p>
<p>You darted over to where he was and kicked at the ground. The snow exploded into a glimmering mist that rained down on him. He let out a noise and struggled to sit up.</p>
<p>You took the opportunity to drop down to your knees and plop yourself right on his stomach to pin him down. There was no way he could wiggle out from under you. You’d never done this before and the panicked look in his eyes brought forth a fit of giggles. He must not have realized what your full weight felt like and he was powerless.</p>
<p>You scooped up a handful of snow and shoved it directly in his face. He squirmed and both hands shot out to wrap around your wrist. His grip was tight. After a few spluttering coughs, he blinked away the remnants and gazed at you through snowflake-lined lashes.</p>
<p>“I win!” you exclaimed.</p>
<p>Except your victories were always short lived. Because within the next five seconds, you heard a child’s scream behind you, the sound of something heavy scampering through the snow, then felt the hard slap of large paws against your back.</p>
<p>You teetered forward and collapsed on Kuroo. “OOF!”</p>
<p>When you lifted your face up, nose raw from being shoved into the pile of snow, you caught sight of the dog that had just <em>launched</em> itself off your back. It landed on the top of the hill and gazed down at you, mockingly, before turning heel and bounding off with a howl.</p>
<p>“Oh god, are you okay?!” You struggled to pick yourself up, arms shaking. You hovered over him, your noses almost brushing. “I didn’t mean to. Please don’t tell me I crushed your ribs or something.”</p>
<p>Kuroo winced and his hand splayed across his side. “I-It hurts…”</p>
<p>“Shit! Kenma! Get help! Kuroo’s hurt!”</p>
<p>You turned toward your other friend. He was in the midst of an awkward conversation with what looked to be the owner of the dog. The kid was nearly in tears and the frayed leash was limp in their hands. You were about to shout again when you heard a rumbling underneath you.</p>
<p>As soon as you whipped back towards Kuroo, you knew he’d been lying. Your fists tightened. You were furious. Kuroo continued to laugh, his shoulders trembling, tears springing in his eyes.</p>
<p>“Are you serious, dude?!”</p>
<p>“Not sorry.” He took the opportunity to slap a hand full of snow directly in your face. “As fun as this was, we should probably help that kid find his dog, yeah?”</p>
<p>“Ugh.” You rolled away from him and resisted the urge to continue your little war. “Fine. Truce for now.”</p>
<p>You brushed yourself off as Kuroo made his way over to the little kid. He was always good with connecting to shy people. After a few moments between the two of them, Kuroo shot him a closed-eye smile and you just knew he’d promised to find the dog. He mentioned something to Kenma before gesturing to you.</p>
<p>“So are we the two-man team?” you asked, Kuroo jogging back to where you were.</p>
<p>“Yep. So let’s get going.”</p>
<p>Once again, you found that he had taken it upon himself to guide you by the hand. Not that you minded too much. The snow was deep and his stature made it easier to keep your balance. He kept his eyes forward. He was always sharp and hyperaware of small shifts in movement, always searching for nearly imperceptible changes in his environment. It was what made him a great volleyball player.</p>
<p>“Good thing that dog’s so big. Look at those pawprints.” Kuroo chuckled, gesturing to them. “Not much detective work here.”</p>
<p>“You never know. Maybe up ahead he’ll use a tree branch with some leaves and cover his tracks.”</p>
<p>At least the park wasn’t massive. You had to admit, the blankets of snow on the rows of trees did make a nice sight. You should’ve taken a picture, slapped it on a greeting card, and made a fortune. It was still bright outside. Without any gusts of wind to assault your face, it wasn’t so bad.</p>
<p>“Hey, Kuroo?”</p>
<p>“’Sup?”</p>
<p>“Thanks, for uh…” You swallowed. “For taking me out of there. I freaked out.”</p>
<p>“It’s not a big deal.” He shot you a genuine smile, one that was free from his usual bravado. “I was being serious, we can just go in a little bit when there’s less of a crowd. I just wanted to take you somewhere fun. Feels like we only ever do what Kenma and I want. Volleyball, video games, volleyball, video games.”</p>
<p>“Well…I appreciate it, but I wouldn’t hang out with you guys if I didn’t enjoy that. I guess it doesn’t matter <em>what</em> we do, so long as we’re together.”</p>
<p>He reached down and pulled your hat over your face. “You’re so cheesy.”</p>
<p>A powerful bark broke through the silence of the park. It was so unexpected that you jumped. You yanked the hat off your head and saw the dog in question. It was far enough away where you could get a good look at its collar; the tags caught the sunlight like a beacon, just daring you to close the distance.</p>
<p>You patted your knees. “Here, puppy!”</p>
<p>The dog’s tail wagged. He refused to budge. He probably thought this was all some sort of game.</p>
<p>“Come on, sweetie! It’s okay!”</p>
<p>“I think your baby voice is creeping it out,” Kuroo chuckled.</p>
<p>“Oh, shut up! It’s not creepy!” you hissed. You cleared your throat and returned to the playful lilt. “C’mere! You’re a good boy, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>It cocked its head at you. Its paw lifted up like it was going to make that split second decision to come bounding toward you. Except it didn’t. It simply let its foot hit the ground. Its body dropped forward in a signature play bow. Its butt wiggled from side to side, tail whipping against the air.</p>
<p>“At least he’s not scared.” You drew your arms back in, still huddled in a crouch. “We need to get him over here. He looks like he wants to play.”</p>
<p>Kuroo thought for a moment before he bent down, hands gathering up a significant amount of snow. He packed it into a neat ball, taking great care to make sure it was going to stick. You perked a brow at him. Was this really the time? What was he gonna do?</p>
<p>You were surprised to see that the pup’s ears perked up. It had its full attention on Kuroo – or more specifically, his hands. Kuroo tossed the snowball up a couple of times. The dog’s eyes zeroed in on its predictable motions, its tongue lolling out of his mouth. It did a little tap dance out of excitement and yipped.</p>
<p>In one fluid motion, Kuroo threw the ball up into the air. The dog rushed forward in an attempt to snatch it in midair. Its nose hit it, and while it opened its jaws to latch onto it, it ultimately missed its mark. The ball fell to the ground with a hard splat and disappeared into the rest of the snow it came from.</p>
<p>The dog pounced on its last known spot and started to dig, powerful limbs kicking up snow and dirt. You burst out into laughter. It was so determined. Your outburst seemed to make it happy, because it went even harder. When it was satisfied with the mess it made, it zipped over to where you were standing, tail wagging furiously as it waited for Kuroo to toss another one.</p>
<p>You gained its trust that way. A few more haphazard tosses and the dog was more than willing to stick by you. You even tried your hand at it. After at least ten or fifteen attempts later, Kuroo flipped the script and tossed the snowball at you. The dog charged without thinking, knocking you to the ground and covering your face in sloppy kisses.</p>
<p>“Kuroo, no!” you screeched. “Are you kidding me?!”</p>
<p>He kept laughing, not even listening to you at this point.</p>
<p>He managed to attach what was left of the tattered leash to the dog’s collar. It was much shorter than the pup would’ve liked, but it adjusted just fine. Its weight wasn’t a problem for Kuroo, which honestly surprised you. He was able to lead the way without much difficulty. You watched him with a smile on your face, not able to hide how much you admired him at this moment.</p>
<p>“It’s okay, you can tell me that I’m your hero.”</p>
<p>“As if,” you sputtered, wondering how the hell he knew what you were thinking.</p>
<p>Kuroo smirked. “Just admit you love me.”</p>
<p>“You already know I do.”</p>
<p>The words left your mouth before you even thought about it. You tried to play it cool, as if it didn’t matter at all, but that was embarrassing beyond belief. It didn’t help that you managed to make Kuroo go silent, his mouth ajar and no snarky reply in sight.</p>
<p>Luckily, you didn’t have much time to mull over what you just said. The little boy spotted you once you got to the top of the hill. He cheered and rushed straight for you.</p>
<p>“Thank you so much!”</p>
<p>“No problem, dude.” Kuroo handed the leash over to him. “Is that your sister over there?”</p>
<p>“Yup! Don’t worry, she’s strong enough to handle him.” The boy nearly slipped when making his way over to her. His dog was much calmer now that he’d gotten so much energy out of his system, so he didn’t take the opportunity to shake him off and retreat back into the trees.</p>
<p>You and Kuroo watched his sister bow in your direction as thanks. She took the leash away from her brother and stalked off, already in the midst of a loving lecture about how he needed to be more careful.</p>
<p>Kenma rubbed his arm and you felt really bad for him. He had to entertain two strangers in the freezing cold all alone. You approached him with an apologetic look.</p>
<p>“Thanks, Kenma. You’re really awesome for staying back.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t mind,” he admitted. “He entertained himself. I asked him about his dog and he was telling me a bunch of stories.”</p>
<p>“And you’re a great listener, so it worked out.” You smiled at him. “He looked like he chilled out. You did awesome.”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t go that far.” He chuckled. “Do you want to go back to the rink?”</p>
<p>You nodded, stealing a glance at Kuroo. “Let’s do it.”</p>
<p>You were surprised to see that the line had gone down significantly since you left. Seems a lot of people had their fill. Although there were still some stragglers on the ice, you were confident enough to step forward and prepare yourself to join them.</p>
<p>You all sat down and laced up your shoes. You helped Kenma with his since he was fumbling.</p>
<p>“Hey, for someone who’s super dexterous, you still have troubles with this, huh?”</p>
<p>He shot you a soft smile. “The gloves get in the way.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, okay, suuuure.”</p>
<p>You stood up shakily and hoped with all your might that the Ice Skating Gods would spare you even a shred of pity. Please, please don’t let you make an ass out of yourself! You took baby steps towards the entrance. Your heart pounded in your chest, stuttering against your ribs, hard and fast, bringing a wealth of heat to your cheeks.</p>
<p>“Just relax. We can hug the wall for a little bit.”</p>
<p>You sucked in a deep breath and squeezed your eyes shut, willing yourself to move forward. “Yeah. Okay. Let’s go.”</p>
<p>Kuroo went straight for the wall just as he said he would. His hands gripped the wood as best he could. He stilled in an attempt to wait for you and Kenma.</p>
<p>You stretched your arms out and practically flew into the wall, legs trembling at the unfamiliar sensation of your entire weight balanced on two blades. You latched onto it like it was your lifeline. Kenma ended up on the opposite side of you, though he didn’t seem as concerned about being out here like you were.</p>
<p>“Let’s just follow the wall for a little bit so we don’t fall.”</p>
<p>Kuroo’s plan seemed solid enough. You nodded in agreement. He shuffled off to the side. It started snowing again and the stark contrast between the ice white flakes and his dark hair was nice to look at. As dumb as you thought his hair was when you were little kids, it definitely suited him in some strange way.</p>
<p>You watched everything happen in slow motion. Kuroo slid to the right a little too fast with his right leg. His body dipped down as his knees buckled. Without any real warning that he’d lost his balance, you crashed into him immediately. He was sent tumbling onto the ice and you let out a shrill scream, your own feet losing traction. You ran in place for a few brief seconds before everything went out from underneath you, your butt hitting the ground full force.</p>
<p>“Argh…” You winced. That was way more painful than you thought it would be. You struggled to tuck your knees underneath you so you could attempt to stand. You carefully got on one knee, placing both hands on it, and pushed yourself up off the ground. You wobbled a little bit and were relieved to see that you were able to regain your upright position. You spread your arms out to act as leverage.</p>
<p>“Help me up!”</p>
<p>You blinked and looked down at Kuroo. For all his talk about ice skating, you thought he must have done this before and been an expert at it. He definitely wasn’t. You watched him get up and fall onto his ass three times in succession. He’d get to a crouching position and the skates would slip out from right under him.</p>
<p>You made a few shaky steps towards him, offering him your hand. He shot out and grabbed you.</p>
<p>“Wait, Kuroo, stop wiggling! Let me help you up, you’re gonna make us both—AHH!”</p>
<p>He dragged you down with him. You landed on your backside, <em>again</em>, and watched as Kuroo spun around in circles before coming to a stop. He was flat on his stomach. He groaned and tried to get into a kneeling position, only for his gloves to slip against the ice and send him toppling forward. He eventually gave up and rolled onto his back, staring upwards at the sky with a look of sheer defeat.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, I’ve got him.”</p>
<p>An older man swept by with no effort and gripped both of Kuroo’s forearms, drawing him up into a standing position. Kuroo’s legs were unsteady. The man paid him no mind, taking him back to the wall so he could attempt to guide him through the basics.</p>
<p>You stared on worriedly. Kuroo took things in stride, but you could tell his ego was hurt. He refused to look at you. You wanted to head over, but you felt a gentle tug on your hand before you could.</p>
<p>“Let’s go,” Kenma told you, his eyebrows raised and a curve of his lips. “He’ll be fine.”</p>
<p>You were shocked. Kenma, of all people, was actually an<em> amazing</em> skater. With your hands tightly clasped, the two of you pushed forward in unison. You didn’t even need to hug the wall. You were still a little unconfident in your skills, but he didn’t mind slowing down when you thought you would lose your balance. His fingers laced with yours and you glided across the rink together, laughter bubbling in your chests from the exhilarating speed.</p>
<p>“You better tell me that this is like, your secret talent or something,” you called out to him. “Otherwise I’m gonna be super pissed!”</p>
<p>“So you want me to lie?” he joked. “This is my first time, too.”</p>
<p>“God, Kenma, just when I thought I knew you! We’re supposed to be best friends!”</p>
<p>You had to admit, it was pretty fun. A lot better than you expected it to go. Aside from Kuroo’s constant wipeouts and dragging you down with him, it was unlike anything you’d done before. You could see the appeal. No one else seemed to matter much, not the couples zipping by and trying to show off their moves. You concentrated on your own body and its rhythm, the two of you in sync.</p>
<p>You needed to catch your breath. You really didn’t think that it would take so much out of you. Kenma let go of you so you could stop next to Kuroo. He was still inching forward, not making much progress, concentrating so hard you could practically see the vein bulging in his forehead.</p>
<p>“You okay?”</p>
<p>He didn’t spare you a glance. “Oh, just peachy. I’m an expert. I’m just putting on a show so you don’t look like a noob.”</p>
<p>You snorted with laughter, a sound that made him break into a cheesy grin. “Alright. Why don’t you let go of the wall and take my hand? You won’t get anywhere like that.”</p>
<p>“Says you. I’m well on my way to the Olympics at this rate.”</p>
<p>Ignoring his attempts to brush you off, you offered him your hand. “Let’s go, Smirks.”</p>
<p>You spent the next fifteen minutes falling and getting back up. Sure, at first people stared and laughed under their breath, but they eventually turned their attention elsewhere.</p>
<p>A part of you wondered if Kuroo was acting. Maybe he just feigned incompetence so you wouldn’t be the worst one on the rink? Nah. He wasn’t the type. He wouldn’t lie to you just to make you feel better. Plus, he seemed genuinely embarrassed that he wasn’t the star of the show. He swallowed his pride and accepted help from strangers.</p>
<p>“Think I’m getting the hang of this.” Kuroo shot you a grin, his knees still quivering. “Let’s keep going.”</p>
<p>“Whatever you want.” You squeezed his hand and tugged him back with you, the two of you making large loops around the rink.</p>
<p>You eventually did get your fill. You were tired and hungry. You wobbled your way to the exit and were relieved to peel off the ice skates, switching them out for your regular shoes. It was nice to be on solid, non-slippery ground again. You wiggled your toes in your boots and let out a sigh of relief.</p>
<p>Kenma rubbed at his reddened nose. There was a slight flush to his cheeks from the cold. His gloves were pretty thin. He wore them on purpose so could use them on his phone’s touch screen. You could tell that his fingers were freezing.</p>
<p>“Hey Kenma, take your gloves off for a sec?”</p>
<p>Once he complied, you took his hands and encased them in yours. You rubbed the back of his hands and knuckles to create some friction and heat. You leaned forward to breathe warm air on him. Once you saw evidence of life return to his fingers, you switched gloves with him so he could stay comfortable.</p>
<p>“My hands are f-freezing,” Kuroo muttered, sneaking a glance at you.</p>
<p>“Oh, what<em>ever</em>. Like I’d believe that.” You made a move to walk away, but he snickered, grabbing you in a hug from behind and shoving his hands in your front pockets.</p>
<p>You decided to head home after that. All of you were worn out. As you traversed down the streets to Kuroo’s place, you spotted someone interesting ahead.</p>
<p>“Ooh! Look! Puppies!” you exclaimed. Sure enough, the person heading your way had three of them tugging on the leash. You approached him warily, not wanting to come off as creepy. “Are all of them yours?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” he sighed wearily. “I’m fostering them for now. Gotta keep them socialized and busy. Otherwise they tear the house to shreds.”</p>
<p>You bent down and stuck your hand out. One of the puppies touched his cold, wet nose against your skin and you melted. So. Cute.</p>
<p>You let out a dreamy sigh. The sound caught the attention of the other two, because before you knew it, you were being brutally attacked with a face full of puppy kisses. You giggled and tried to keep them off. Their paws were dripping with melted snow and dirt. They still had that sweet breath from a mixture of milk and wet food.</p>
<p>You ended up losing your balance and plopped down onto the ground, all of them deciding it was their chance to mark you as their new toy.</p>
<p>Kuroo bent down to help you up, but one of the puppies saw him as a threat. He let out a warning bark before clumsily throwing himself on Kuroo. His baby teeth barely sank through the gloves, let alone skin, and he let out a playful growl when Kuroo attempted to retrieve his hand.</p>
<p>“Sheesh, and here I thought Kenma and I were clingy.” Kuroo peered down at you. His features were soft. “You really like dogs, huh?”</p>
<p>“Uh, yeah! Duh! Do you see them? They are so small and chunky.” You picked one of them up and held him to your chest, his tongue lathing over your cheeks. “Relatable.”</p>
<p>You won them over. Kenma and Kuroo took the bait, petting the pups until they had their fill. You thanked the man profusely for letting you play with them. He said it was no problem since it was always good to expose them to new experiences.</p>
<p>“If we’re dog breeds, Kuroo is a Puli. The resemblance is uncanny.” You flashed them a picture straight off the Google search. “Says here they’re mischievous and require a lot of exercise to keep them out of trouble. Sound familiar?”</p>
<p>Kuroo scoffed. “I do <em>not</em> look like that.”</p>
<p>Kenma just laughed.</p>
<p>You grinned at him. “You’re not free from this, either. Kenma, you’re…” You thought about it. “A greyhound. Both of you are gangly, athletic, yet surprisingly chill at home. You take a little while to warm up to people, but then it’s like bam! Affection!”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah? Then what does that make you?” Kuroo shot back.</p>
<p>You didn’t miss a beat. “A bulldog.”</p>
<p>He narrowed his eyes at you. “Are you serious?”</p>
<p>“They’re stocky, ugly, and yet! People still like them somehow.” You chuckled at your own self-deprecating joke. “Aw, c’mon, don’t give me that look. I thought it was funny. I was gonna say pug but they’re not fat enough. I mean, usually.”</p>
<p>Kuroo snatched your phone and busied himself searching through dogs while you and Kenma stripped out of your coats, glad to be in the warmth of his home. Kuroo stayed there for a while. He chewed on the inside of his lip, ignoring your conversations, the two episodes of anime, one awkward movie sex scene and even a popcorn fight.</p>
<p>You nearly choked on your hot chocolate when he tossed the phone on your lap. You dragged your eyes down to the screen. “Great Pyrenees?”</p>
<p>He didn’t say anything else to make his point. He simply sat down perpendicular to on the couch and draped his legs over your lap. You sighed and shifted to get comfortable, not really bothered in the slightest.</p>
<p>You threw a pillow at him in response. “You’re such a dork, Kuroo.”</p><hr/>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i'm working slowly but surely on this fic. last weekend my wrists were killing me (i type a lot for my job) and then this weekend i got a new kitten (who is still settling in with my 7-year old 100 lb dog) so it's been nuts. </p>
<p>i'm really trying to type enough where i can post chapters regularly. updating once a week isn't ideal, but i hope it's often enough where anyone reading doesn't lose interest.</p>
<p>i absolutely love hearing from you guys. please drop a line if you can, it means a lot! &lt;3</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Grilled Salted Mackerel Pike</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Secrets are much harder to keep these days. Maybe it's for the best.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>the recent influx of comments has me on cloud nine, y'all are so nice. i swear each one in my inbox is like a ray of sunshine and im vitamin d deficient.</p><p>i hope this chapter is satisfying! my girlfriend gave me serious attitude after reading it and i have no regrets.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Seemed like a normal day. No storm brewing outside, no sirens going off, no news reports of impending disaster.</p><p>Damn.</p><p>If something catastrophic happened, that would give you an excuse to put today on the backburner. Guess you wouldn’t be blessed by the Chaos Gods. It was fine, they were probably saving their gift for much later when you least expected it. That would be your luck, anyway.</p><p>You roused out of bed despite being awake before your alarm even went off. You hadn’t been able to sleep very well last night, even with the warm tea before bed that usually did the trick. You rubbed your eyes with the heel of your hand and let out a quiet huff.</p><p>You didn’t waste much time getting ready. It wasn’t as if there was a strict dress code for where you were headed to. Given it was a little nippy outside, you grabbed a black hoodie that was nestled on the back of your desk chair. You’d stolen it from Kuroo. While he was much taller than you, you were the same shirt size now. Well, kind of. Some girls would brag about how baggy their friends’ and boyfriends’ clothes were on them. If anything, it clung to you just enough where you could still use it as a security blanket without feeling like you were being stuffed in sausage casing.</p><p>You slipped your backpack over your shoulders and headed toward the kitchen. Grandma was already there making you something to eat.</p><p>“I told you that I’d cook for myself today. You should be resting.”</p><p>She chuckled and continued stirring at the pan, unbothered. “I don’t trust you to eat something hearty. You were probably going to just grab something from the convenience store on the way. Don’t worry, this will fill you right up and get those gears turning.”</p><p>You didn’t have room to argue. You’d woken up extra early just so you would have enough time to make it to the school. Your grandma hummed to herself. She was so happy. You knew why. It was her idea for you to take this entrance exam in the first place. She’d gone to the same school when she was younger and it gave her so many fond memories. You could’ve said no, but she had done so much for you already. You felt like you owed it to her.</p><p>You thanked her for the meal anyway. She was right; it was good. It definitely woke you up. Even if it was a little childish.</p><p>“Omurice? For real?”</p><p>“You love it. Besides, I even drew a smiley face. To wish you good luck.”</p><p>She was too sweet to be cross with. Even though you were getting ready for high school, she still insisted on treating you like a little kid.</p><p>You cleared your plate despite not even thinking you'd have much of an appetite. She took it before you could even make a move to the sink.</p><p>“I can wash it when I get back.”</p><p>“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll take care of it after I eat. You should get going, dear.”</p><p>You sighed and pressed a warm kiss to her temple. She laughed under her breath in response.</p><p>“Okay. Just call me if you need me to pick up anything. I’ll be back in a few hours.”</p><p>“Of course. Do me a favor? Take some deep breaths. You’ll do fine.”</p><p>Her words were comforting. You nodded and headed outside, your heart already pounding by the time you crossed the threshold.</p><p>You’d spent months preparing for this exam. Mulling over textbooks and study guides. You were sure that you’d do well, but there was always a smidge of doubt that told you otherwise. Your stomach was in knots. You felt like you could barely do basic math with your fingers, let alone any in your head. What were words again? Maybe you should just hide out somewhere and say that you went. What if your stomach started hurting as soon as the test began?</p><p>You glanced down at your phone. No new notifications. Not that you expected any. As soon as you went to pocket it, your phone buzzed. You drew it back out so lightning quick that you almost tossed it at the person in front of you. You fumbled with it before it hit the ground and peered at the screen.</p><p>You typed a quick response.</p>
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</div><p>You weren’t going to lie. Having so many people express their faith in you was comforting. You steeled yourself before clambering onto the train.</p><p>You kind of dissociated at that point. Mostly because you knew that if you did anything else besides operate on autopilot, you were probably going to lose your shit. You just stared blankly ahead and tried not to catch yourself boring holes into some stranger who happened to be in your line of vision.</p><p>Besides, the crowds were always unpleasant. Aside from being in such close proximity with a bunch of people with lots of different body odors and heavy perfumes/colognes, you were hyperaware of how much space you took up. You tried your best to shrink in as best as you could, sucking in your stomach, tucking your body in so no one could shoot you a look of disgust.</p><p>When it was your stop, you finally managed to push your way through. You exited the doors and followed the directions you’d gone over at least twenty times last night. You’d even taken the trip to the school a few days ago to make absolutely sure that you didn’t get lost. Was it overboard? Sure. Did it help your anxiety? Yes. Worth it.</p><p>You filed into the exam room and ran your eyes over the crowd of people who were already present. You checked the time on your phone. You still had about half an hour to kill.</p><p>You really weren’t expecting anyone to sit near you. Resting bitch face was just…your face. It worked for keeping people away, which was a positive and negative thing. Positive meant you were able to fend off any unwanted weirdos who would tap into your anxiety. Negative meant you really weren’t able to make friends as easily.</p><p>You flinched when you realized someone sat next to you. Seriously? There were a ton of empty seats. You leaned away from them immediately, a little annoyed that you could no longer stretch yourself out onto the chair.</p><p>“I’m so nervous,” the girl next to you murmured, her fingers threading through her hair. “I think I’m gonna pass out!”</p><p>You didn’t say anything in response but shot her an awkward smile. She didn’t seem to notice.</p><p>“Plus, have you <em>seen</em> the others around? They all look super smart. Oh my god. I’m freaking out.”</p><p>You swallowed. You weren’t the best at knowing what to say in situations like this.</p><p>“Same,” was all you could squeeze out.</p><p>“Right?” She sighed in relief. “Glad I’m not the only one. Hey, I recognize that mascot! Does your boyfriend play sports?”</p><p>You glanced down at what she was pointing at. Oh. Kuroo’s hoodie. “Uh, yeah. He plays volleyball. And he’s not my boyfriend.”</p><p> “Oh. Brother?”</p><p>“Nope. Just a friend.” You shrugged. “I stole it from him.”</p><p>“Lucky! I wish I had a boy friend. Wait, you know what I mean! Boy friend, not boyfriend. Ugh. Anyways, you two seem close if he lends you his stuff. My love life is abysmal right now. Do you know how many guys responded to my Valentine’s Day confessions last year? ZERO. I had one main guy and two alternatives. None of them bit. It was <em>so </em>embarrassing.”</p><p>You perked an eyebrow at her. She seemed to be willing to fill the silence with more babbling. You could relate, though. You hadn’t dated anyone at all. Period. It wasn’t like you had anyone knocking at your door. Guys at school were much more interested in chatting up svelte girls with petite features. Girls who were disgusted by the thought of cellulite or sagging, horrified at the existence of chub rub, or who loudly complained about how “fat” they were getting while you were literally standing right next to them.</p><p>“Hey, we should exchange numbers! If we both get in, we can totally hang out. I hate eating alone. It makes me feel like a loser.”</p><p>You gave her a noncommittal response which she accepted graciously.</p><p>The exam itself wasn’t entirely brutal. You were actually surprised at how well you did for the majority of it. It looked like those late night sessions had paid off. You found yourself re-checking your work toward the end of the allotted time, grateful that you had the option. Some people around you began to panic and scribble much more furiously.</p><p>Once the papers in front of you were gone and you were released, you were so relieved you could almost cry. You rested your back against the side of the building, taking a moment to gather yourself. You’d done it. In just a few weeks you would know the results. You really hoped that you’d make it in. It would mean the world to your family. A niggling feeling of guilt crept into your heart, but you squashed it down with reason and logic.</p><p>You thought you were in the clear when you made your way back to the train station. The girl from before caught up with you. She didn’t even know your name, so she just yelled out for you to wait up. You hadn’t known she was even talking to you, so you kept going. She sprinted over and was red in the face by the time she reached you, stepping in your main path.</p><p>“Hi,” she beamed. “Remember me? I realized I forgot to introduce myself. Watanabe Aiko’s the name. And yes, I know it’s generic, okay? I tell my parents every day that they’re totally unoriginal.” She thrust her phone into your face. “We’re exchanging numbers, remember?”</p><p>No escaping her now. You did as she asked and she peered at the contact name.</p><p>“Gosh. <em>So</em> much better than my name. I mean, it’s really pretty.”</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>“Hey! We should totally get something to celebrate our victory over the exams. There’s this super cute café right down the street. I’ll pay if you want!”</p><p>You were a little wary of heading into unfamiliar territory with someone you just met. “Ah, well—”</p><p>You nearly jumped out of your skin when you felt a sudden weight on the top of your head. Your entire body just froze. Judging by Aiko’s face, she was floored with whoever was the owner of said hand. You tilted your head backwards and were met with a familiar grin.</p><p>“Hey. Who’s your friend?”</p><p>“I-I’m Waiko! I mean, uh, Watanabe Aiko!” She dropped into a haphazard bow. “Let me guess. Are you the owner of the sweatshirt?!”</p><p>Kuroo stepped off to the side and gave you the once over. “Hey, I’ve been looking for that.”</p><p>“Well, it’s mine now,” you retorted. You were equal parts relieved and dreading that he was here. You just hoped that Aiko could keep her mouth shut. “This is Kuroo Tetsurou.”</p><p>Kuroo had his hands on his hips, angling himself in a pose that screamed ‘yes, I am extremely hot and I know it’. So unfair. All those spare centimeters made a huge difference. He could easily be a model if he weren’t such a nerd. “I’m surprised you’re all the way out here. Where are you guys off to?”</p><p>“We were just going to that café, right over there!” Aiko pointed wildly. “You should come with us! They have great snacks!”</p><p>“Sure,” Kuroo chuckled. “Lead the way.”</p><p>Aiko had no problems doing so. She listed off the entire menu by memory. You didn’t say a word, half-listening, while Kuroo smiled, nodded and responded to her overzealous review of the place. Engaging with other people was so easy for him.</p><p>You entered the café and you were delighted to see how relaxed the atmosphere was. It was still somewhat empty given there were still a few hours before the lunch rush. Lots of spices lingered in the air. Cinnamon and nutmeg were the most pungent of the bunch. There was also the crisp scent of freshly baked goods, hot out of the oven by the looks of it. The display case was filled to the brim with all sorts of pastries and desserts. It was colorful and inviting all at once.</p><p>Aiko offered to pay for you, but Kuroo turned her down. He already picked out what you’d wanted, probably going by the way you just zeroed in on the plate beyond the glass. You took the steaming to-go cup from him as he fished out his wallet.</p><p>“Separate or together?” the cashier asked, referring to your order.</p><p>“Separate,” you stated matter-of-factly.</p><p>“Together,” Kuroo told him flippantly.</p><p>You made a face. Kuroo snickered. He already set down enough for both of you on the counter before you even had the chance to grab the notes from your pocket.</p><p>Aiko wiggled in her seat and sipped at her coffee. Did she really need any more caffeine? “You two are so cute. How long have you been friends?”</p><p>“Since we were…what, eleven?” You made short work of your snack. “I haven’t been able to get rid of him just yet.”</p><p>“Ha, ha.” Kuroo grabbed your cup and pressed the lid to his lips, taking a long sip. “She talks a big game but she’s the softest girl around. Don’t let her tough persona fool you. When we first met she scared the hell out of me. Then she pretty much flipped the script and made one of the nicest gestures ever. You just gotta stick it out long enough, like sour candy.”</p><p>Aiko hummed and scooted her chair over closer to the two of you. “So, um, Kuroo, right? Are you dating anyone? Anyone at all?”</p><p>Kuroo didn’t seem bothered by how forward she was. “Between this chick and volleyball, I barely have time to keep my head on straight.”</p><p>“Um, wow. I’m right here.”</p><p>“I know,” he replied, cheeky as ever. He handed you the cup since he had his fill. You took it back and sighed, shaking it to check how much he’d actually drank. “What about you, Watanabe? A cute girl like you has got to have guys in line.”</p><p>“Me? C-cute?!” She slapped her hands on her cheeks. “No way! Psh! I’m single. It’s going to be even harder next year.”</p><p>Kuroo didn’t bite. He seemed distracted when he checked his phone.</p><p>Her eyes lit up when she realized what he was doing. “A-anyways…do you think we could exchange numbers? I’m trying to make more friends, and you seem super nice!”</p><p>Kuroo shrugged. “Yeah, sure. Why not.”</p><p>You watched their exchange and deflated a little bit in your chair. They already seemed to get along pretty well. Kuroo didn’t seem too bothered that she’d basically spelled it out that she was curious about his love life.</p><p>Actually, you’d never seen or heard about Kuroo being interested in anyone seriously. Of course he confided in you that he’d gotten a few crushes on girls here and there, but he’d never actually gone through with asking them out. Given how Aiko managed to squeeze his contact info out of him, maybe he was ready to try?</p><p>You glanced over her. She was pretty. No idea why guys ignored her. Aside from her bubbly personality – which could be a <em>little</em> overbearing, sure – she really had everything going for her. Light brown eyes, soft, wispy bangs, her dark hair cut in an adorable bob. She had a sprinkle of freckles marching across her nose. She even had on a headband with a damn strawberry on the side. You could never pull that off in a million years. She was definitely curvy and had a great sense of fashion. Her star-shaped earrings matched well with the oversized, baby blue cable knit off-the-shoulder sweater. Long legs were accentuated with the dark stockings she wore underneath her high-waisted pleated skirt.</p><p>The thoughts about your own appearance became ugly pretty quickly. She was tiny. Kuroo could easily pick her up and spin her around. He couldn’t do that with you. She could jump into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck like she weighed nothing at all.</p><p>You blanked out for a little while at the possibilities. You hadn’t realized you left the café and lingered outside. Aiko chatted about how you should hang out again. Or did she mean just the two of them? The knot in your stomach tightened and nausea crept up your throat.</p><p>You were overwhelmed and felt pathetic at your own jealousy. So you coped the only way you knew how: you took off.</p><p>Avoiding your problems was the best thing right now. Your head hurt. It must’ve been because of the test’s questions finally catching up to you. You wanted the ground to swallow you whole. Every step you took toward the subway, you could just hear Aiko’s words echoing and reverberating through you.</p><p>Boyfriend?</p><p>What would that even be like? With Kuroo?</p><p>He was handsome as hell. He was a teenaged girl’s walking dream. He was sarcastic, funny, witty, intelligent, super athletic and kind. He was perceptive and knew just how to pick up on people’s feelings. He was always really giving and considerate. He rarely got angry with anyone or anything. He was supportive and knew what to say to make you feel safe.</p><p>You found yourself in a line of people waiting to board the next train. Your eyes stung. It was just the cold. You rubbed at them, angry, <em>pissed</em>. Your hand dropped down to your side, fingers unfurling. The hoodie wrapped so comfortably around your shoulders just a few hours earlier now felt like dead weight. You wanted to tear it off.</p><p>The tracks trembled almost in anticipation when the cars rolled up. The automatic doors greeted you with a judgmental hiss. You stepped inside without thinking, moving forward, other people behind you effectively sandwiching you inside.</p><p>“Sorry, 'scuse me.”</p><p>You glanced up to find Kuroo had made his way next to you. He reached up and gripped the handles above to steady himself. With people on all sides of you, you didn’t exactly have a choice with how close you were standing. From here you could see the concern written all over his face.</p><p>“You totally ditched me.”</p><p>“You looked like you were having fun.” Your tone came out flatter and icier than you intended it to be.</p><p>His eyes widened. “Weren’t you?”</p><p>You shrugged. Neither of you said anything for a few minutes. You didn’t even want to look at him. You knew that if you did, he would see something that you couldn’t even figure out yourself. He was too good at reading people.</p><p>“Hey, so what were you doing on this side of town anyway?”</p><p>“Nothing.”</p><p>Another awkward silence ensued. Kuroo sighed and scratched at his head, brows furrowing. Would he give up and move on? Leave you alone to stew?</p><p>“Look, I was trying to be nice. She introduced herself like you guys were friends.”</p><p>Your teeth clenched. “She’s cute. You should text her. She’s into you.”</p><p>“Seriously…?” He frowned. “Why would you tell me that?”</p><p>The train came to a stop and several people rushed between you to get out. You took the opportunity to slip into the crowd, heading for the opposite car. People were piling on because the lunch hour was in full swing now. You had an easy time weaving around them to make a break for it.</p><p>Was it childish? Yeah. Of course it was. You didn’t care.</p><p>You moved further and further back. No one paid you any mind. Just a random girl who looked like she could set someone’s head on fire if she so much as glanced at them.</p><p>Once the cars started to move again, you found yourself at the other end of the train. It was just as crowded here as it was with Kuroo, but you were alone. You could hear yourself think again and not have to worry about the powerful thrum of blood rushing to your head.</p><p>You knew he would find you as soon as you got off. You were going in the same direction. It didn’t keep you from hoping that he wouldn’t.</p><p>Your fingers trembled as you hooked them around the edge of the hoodie. It kept you warm and cozy the entire day, but you couldn’t take it any more. You lifted it above your head and pulled it off, ignoring the way your shirt rode up and exposed a strip of skin to the strangers around you. You bunched it up in your arms and waited to be released</p><p>Sure enough, you stepped off and saw Kuroo searching through the crowds for you. You turned heel and blew him off. He was tall enough where he’d have no problem spotting you. You stuck out, after all.</p><p>“Are you seriously ignoring me right now?” He jogged up to you and blocked you from moving. You came to a standstill and didn’t respond. Your head was angled down toward your shoes. “Did I do something to piss you off? Just tell me.”</p><p>In response, you took the hoodie and shoved it at him. He swallowed it up in his arms before it could fall to the ground with your haphazard move. You moved around him and got on the path to your grandma’s home. You couldn’t hear him walk after you. Had he given up?</p><p>No such luck. Kuroo stopped you again. His voice was sterner, now. “You can’t just give me the cold shoulder and expect me to give you space when I don’t even know what’s going on.”</p><p>You swallowed thickly.</p><p>“Come on. Talk to me. <em>Please</em>.”</p><p>You lifted your head up after what felt like eons. As soon as you locked eyes with him, you regretted it. You could see your hurt reflection in them. Your lower lip trembled. Your eyes were glassy. It was obvious you were in the midst of holding back tears.</p><p>Kuroo’s expression morphed into that of shock.</p><p>“Leave. Me. Alone.” You huffed and walked around him, only for him to catch your wrist with a deft hand.</p><p>“Listen to me—”</p><p>“I said <em>leave me alone!</em>” You snapped at him, voice cracking. Tears trickled down your face and dripped off your chin. His grip went lax. His fingers slipped off your skin and his hand returned to his side, dangling limply. “I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t care what you have to say. I’m going home – and don’t follow me.”</p><p>He didn’t. You were caught between being relieved and being furious. You wanted him to persist, but if he did, you would’ve lashed out again. What was wrong with you?</p><p>The walk back to your grandma’s place was difficult. You were in a daze. Nothing felt real any more. Just this morning you’d been ready to solidify your spot in the high school of your choice. Now you were in a fight with your best friend and all of your own doing. Why were you being like this? None of it made any sense.</p><p>Concrete. Blue skies. Chattering children. Squeaky brake pads. Singing birds. Lukewarm sunshine on your back. Strangers surrounded you and you paid them no mind, legs trudging ahead to your final destination.</p><p>You gathered yourself up at the front door. You had to calm down. Your grandma couldn’t see you like this. She would make you spill everything to her and you didn’t want to cause any unnecessary worry. You were a ball of hormones and insecurity. You had to deal with this on your own.</p><p>After a few more seconds of rubbing your eyes dry and doing your best to hope the cool air had reduced any signs of distress on your face, you let yourself in.</p><p>You were expecting your grandma to be in the living room watching TV. Her favorite program was on. But there was a distinct lack of soap opera clichés spreading across the room. In fact, all you could hear were quiet voices in the kitchen. Why were the curtains drawn open like that? She hated it when it was too bright; her eyes were sensitive. Why couldn’t you smell her afternoon tea brewing?</p><p>You dropped your bag at the front door and kicked your shoes off. You padded down the hallway. It stretched on and on, each step forward tugging at the invisible threads in your stomach. You rounded the corner, only to catch sight of your parents sitting down at the kitchen table. They both looked up and relief flashed across their faces.</p><p>“What are you guys doing here?”</p><p>Your mom’s eyes were red. “Honey, we’ve been trying to call you for the last hour.”</p><p>“I was taking my exam and I turned my phone on vibrate.” You swept your eyes over the untouched dishes in the sink. “Where’s Grandma?”</p><p>“I’m so sorry, sweetie.”</p><p> “What happened?” Your tongue was thick in your mouth, making it difficult to even speak.</p><p>“I-I was on the phone with her and she said she was tired. I told her to take a break and relax in her chair. She stopped talking so I asked the neighbor to check on her. He tried to do CPR until the paramedics came, but…she passed away in her sleep.”</p><p>The numbness spread like a mold, blossoming from the center of your chest and sending spores of ice cold realization through every fiber in your being. What the fuck? You were just here. You spoke with her before you left this morning and she was fine. She wasn’t sick as far as you knew; she hadn’t expressed any new symptoms. She had mentioned she felt weak last night, which was why you were worried when you saw her up so early. But that wasn’t an uncommon complaint for her; she was old, it made sense. Had you missed something? Had you…</p><p>“She made me breakfast,” you mumbled, your voice trembling. “She pushed herself too hard because of me.”</p><p>“No, no, of course not!” Your mother finally stood up and choked back tears as she embraced you. You couldn’t find it in yourself to return the gesture. Your limbs felt stiff. “You know that’s not true. Don’t blame yourself, okay? You took great care of her. She told me today how much she loved and appreciated you staying with her. You were her favorite.”</p><p>That made you feel so much worse. You started to sob.</p><p>Your father drew himself up from the chair and wrapped you both up in a hug. You were enveloped by their combined warmth, but it did nothing to ease the static pain. You could feel your heart break into pieces, shattering with every second that ticked by.</p><p>Grandma was really gone.</p><p>You turned your phone on as soon as you made your getaway to your room. Your hands were clammy and shook when you brought up your contact list. Tears littered the bedspread. You sucked in several sharp breaths before hitting dial, chest aching.</p><p>“Hello?”</p><p>“Grandma’s dead,” you cried, not giving yourself a chance to return the greeting. “I came home and she’s dead. Mom and Dad are here, they said she died this morning, I don’t know what to do. I think it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have left her alone!”</p><p>You heard some shuffling on the other end and his voice came out hurried. “It’s alright. Just let it out. Kenma and I are coming over. I’ll stay on the phone with you until we get there. You’re gonna be okay.”</p><p>You babbled on about how you felt. How all of this felt like a nightmare. Her death was so sudden, you never even got to say goodbye! It wasn’t fair at all. She would never know how you did on your exam. When the results came out, you wouldn’t be able to share them with her. She wouldn’t cook you meals or ask you for updates on your friends. No more casual conversations about her youth and how she longed to travel, only for old age to prevent her from going far.</p><p>Your bedroom door opened up with a short knock and you pushed yourself off the bed. You raced over to the person who came inside and were engulfed in a warm, tight hug. You buried your face in Kuroo’s chest and fisted at his shirt, already staining it with snot and tears.</p><p>“I’ve got you,” Kuroo murmured, his voice causing his chest to vibrate against your cheek. The sensation was welcome.</p><p>Kenma stepped forward and you were so glad he decided to comfort you, too. He wasn’t good at stuff like this, but he did it for you. He wrapped his arms around you. You rested your face in the crook of his neck and squeezed him closer to you, thanking him shakily for coming.</p><p>All three of you sat in your room. You explained what happened when you came home. They listed with rapt attention. When you finished your spiel, your dark thoughts and worries, Kenma was the one who responded first.</p><p>“You didn’t do anything wrong. Whatever happened wasn’t because of you. We know more than anyone how much you cared about her.” His honesty and the determination in his eyes spoke volumes. Kenma wasn’t someone who lied to make others feel better.</p><p>“She was the whole reason we met in the first place. I wish I could’ve thanked her one more time for that.” Kuroo lowered his eyes to the ground. “She was the nicest little old lady I’ve ever met. We’re gonna miss the hell out of her. And she wouldn’t be happy knowing you were blaming yourself for what happened. Right?”</p><p>You nodded weakly.</p><p>“So we’ll get through this. Together.”</p><p>The next few days were spent making funeral arrangements. You were going to have a traditional ceremony with a viewing for friends and family before her cremation. It was what she wanted and what she had planned and paid for. Your grandma was someone who didn’t want to burden her family with worrying about the cost of everything. She specifically set aside funds for anything that wasn’t covered by her preneed.</p><p>Even though her house was occupied by your parents, you felt more alone than ever. You tried to sleep in your room, only to head downstairs and join Kuroo and Kenma in the living room. They had promised you that they would stay with you until everything was over and done with. You appreciated them more than they could ever know.</p><p>You stood at the front of the viewing room, wrapped in a dark dress for the occasion. You had to go shopping to find something, and the added stress of tracking down an outfit that was formal enough <em>and</em> in your size was nervewracking. Especially since everything happened so suddenly. You had your hands clasped in front of you, hair arranged neatly, making eye contact with every person who came to pay their respects to her body.</p><p>“Yakkun…”</p><p>He and his parents bowed to you. You had spoken with him multiple times since her passing. Of course he would be here for you. You felt your cheeks grow wet without meaning to.</p><p>“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Yaku murmured. Your grandma had a soft spot for him too since you grew up together. He raised himself back up and headed toward the coffin.</p><p>You’d already seen her multiple times. She was swathed in a large arrangement of her favorite flowers. She was in the traditional white kimono. You wished you could have used her kimono, one that she told you she’d planned to wear once you got married. She said she only used it for special occasions. You never did get to see her in it.</p><p>Inside people laid down letters for her, words that they hoped would reach her somehow. You had written your own. You weren’t going to disclose to anyone what was in it. She was surrounded by several of her favorite trinkets you picked out from her house, including the strangest little figurine of a fat tanuki that made her laugh whenever someone brought attention to it. Part of you wanted to keep it, but it brought her so much joy when she was alive. You couldn’t take that away from her.</p><p>A fair amount of people showed up, too. The room was separated by each side of the family. Chairs filled up as time went on. Your feet already ached from how long you’d been standing in pinching heels.</p><p>You glanced over at the memorial you set up for her. The picture you chose was one that was taken in her youth. She was gorgeous. You wished you had even a sliver of her beauty. In your mind, you looked nothing alike. How were you related to such a kind soul?</p><p>The smell of incense was calming, though. The lighting was warm and soft. Nothing felt overdone. There was a sense of peace and understanding through grief.</p><p>You glanced over to your side of the room and spotted Kuroo and Kenma in the crowd. Yaku sat several rows away. You smiled at each of them, silently thanking them all for their support.</p><p>Once the ceremony was over, you followed your family to the crematorium. It was hard. Watching her coffin slide into the chamber as the flames swallowed her whole. You returned in a few hours to sort her remains and placed them in her urn. Your hands shook when you were given each piece of bone to pass on to the next person. You were nervous the entire time.</p><p>Then it was over. That was it.</p><p>You would have to learn to live without her for the rest of your life.</p><p>With the entrance exams behind you, you didn’t have a reason to stay in your grandma’s home. You were only there for the weekend so you could take the test since it was closer to where she lived. You returned to your parents’ place and got back into school.</p><p>A week passed. You still hadn’t spoken with Kuroo about…well, you throwing a tantrum. He didn’t bring it up at all, not even through text. You wanted to explain to him what came over you, but…you were still sorting through your feelings.</p><p>Today was when the exam results would be posted. You felt sick. All you’d have to do was pull up the school website and see if your identification number was listed. You couldn’t bring yourself to do it. Even your parents had begged you to go through with it, since they respected you enough not to peek for themselves.</p><p>You sat at the edge of Yaku’s bed, fingers lingering on the link to the website.</p><p>“You have to do it.” He wasn’t one to mince words. “The longer you keep putting it off, the more nervous and anxious you’ll feel. I’m right here.”</p><p>You sighed. “Thanks. I know it shouldn’t be so hard. You don’t get yours until next week so I’m sure you’re feeling the same kind of pressure.”</p><p>“Yeah, but Nekoma isn’t notorious for a low acceptance rate.”</p><p>You swallowed hard. “Okay.” You tapped the screen and ran your eyes over the long list of numbers, your chest tightening.</p><p>“Yakkun…”</p><p>“What? What is it?”</p><p>You grinned at him, grabbing him by the shoulders as the phone dropped to the ground. “I did it! I got in!”</p><p>“I knew you would!” He shot you a bright smile, relief trickling across his features. “You told me how confident you were after the exam! You’re one of the smartest people I know. Never doubted you for a second.”</p><p>“I can’t wait. I have to tell my parents. They’re gonna be so excited!” You wrapped yourself around his arm and squeezed it close to you, too overwhelmed to be embarrassed by your own outburst. “Grandma would be so proud of me!”</p><p>He chuckled, voice soft. “She would.”</p><p>You dashed down the street to your house where your parents eagerly awaited the news. For the first time in a while, your heart felt light. The uncertainty of your future on top of you grief was so much to handle at once. Now you knew where you would be going. There was no room for doubt.</p><p>You texted Kuroo and Kenma, asking if they would be able to stop by your place this weekend. You needed to tell them in person what was going on. You should have done so earlier, but you didn’t want to put them on edge in case you failed.</p><p>Your dad was downstairs with a menu planned for both boys. He got along pretty well with them and was excited to have them over. He and your mom had already prepared a huge feast, which you were one hundred percent more than okay with. You were going to gorge yourself as a reward for your hard work and no one could stop you.</p><p>You were washing the rice when you heard the front door open. You left it unlocked for them. They were far past the point where they needed to knock.</p><p>“Sorry for the intrusion,” Kenma called out, his voice nearly lost in the cacophony of the house. Between the music playing, the TV on, the running faucet, your parents’ conversations and the popping oil, you almost wouldn’t have heard him. But you’d trained your ears well enough after all these years, so you picked up on what he said.</p><p>Kuroo, on the other hand, was much bolder. “I’m home!” He kicked his shoes off before entering, switching them out for house slippers and making a beeline toward you.</p><p>“Welcome home, Smirks,” you called over your shoulder. “Don’t even come up and mess with me or else all of this rice is going down the drain. And you’re gonna be the one to tell my mom about it, not me.”</p><p>He let out a mock sound of bewilderment, but you could sense him sticking his hands back at his sides. Yup. Thought so.</p><p>“Damn, your folks are going all out!” Kuroo exclaimed, stretching his arms over his head. “Hey Kenma, want a drink?”</p><p>“Just water’s fine.”</p><p>“Who said you could go in the fridge?” You flicked water from your fingertips at Kuroo. “You are <em>so</em> rude.”</p><p>You didn’t have to entertain them for long. Your parents greeted them and encouraged both boys to make themselves at home. They didn’t need to tell Kuroo twice. He was already flipping through the channels and leaning back on the couch.</p><p>“Do you need help with anything?” Kenma asked. “I can wash some of the vegetables.”</p><p>“It’s okay! I’ll do it, but thanks.” You poked his cheek and smiled. “I’m glad you guys could come! It’s been awhile since you’ve had a free weekend. Practice takes up a lot of your time, doesn’t it?”</p><p>He nodded. “We’re still trying to beat your school before the year is over. It doesn’t help that we haven’t won once.”</p><p>“I’m honestly surprised you haven’t. While Yakkun is a great player, you guys blow me away. Not like you’d be able to tell him, but I’m rooting for you guys.”</p><p>The dinner table was packed from end to end with all of your favorite dishes. You were excited to try everything. Your mom took it upon herself to dish out rice for everyone in their respective bowls. Plates were passed along down the line so everyone could grab a bit of everything. Your mouth watered. Soup, rice, fish, meat, veggies! You bounced in your seat in anticipation.</p><p>Your dad bought an apple pie for dessert just for Kenma. He would find out about it later. You knew he wouldn’t eat much for dinner anyways; his appetite was like a hundredth of your own.</p><p>“Mackerel pike?” You prodded the fish on your plate with your chopstick. “This is from like three months ago. You guys stuck it in the freezer, didn’t you?”</p><p>“I was saving it! It’s better to eat it with good company.”</p><p>“Dad, are you sure it wasn’t freezer burned?”</p><p>“I promise. I have a trade secret that prevents that.”</p><p>“Yeah, okay,” you snorted.</p><p>Even though you were giving him a hard time, you had to say, it was pretty damn good. It was just the right amount of salty and savory. You picked apart the meat from the bones and let out a hum of appreciation. You made sure that there was nothing left on it; that was the only way to eat fish and respect the craft of those who caught it, after all.</p><p>There was one piece left on the plate. You still had room for it. You made a move to grab it, only for your chopsticks to clack against Kuroo’s.</p><p>“Back off, Smirks. I called it first.”</p><p>Your mom squawked at you not to be so stingy. You ignored her.</p><p>“He steals my food all the time! I’m allowed to indulge.”</p><p>Kuroo took the opportunity to snatch it from under your nose. You made a sound of protest, only for him to directly drop it onto your plate.</p><p>“My gift to you. Don’t ask for anything for your birthday.”</p><p>You scowled at him halfheartedly and stuffed your cheeks with more fish. “Yew thuck.”</p><p>You cleaned your plate and leaned back in your chair, sighing contentedly. It was a nice way to end a harrowing week. There was one more thing you had to get out of the way, though.</p><p>“So…the reason why I called you and Kenma out here was to tell you guys that I got accepted into Hanagasaku High School.”</p><p>The silence was deafening. Kenma didn’t say anything, but his ochre eyes trailed across the table toward Kuroo. You were too scared to look at his expression.</p><p>“Oh,” Kuroo said flatly. “I thought…you were applying to Nekoma.”</p><p>“I did…but…Grandma asked me to apply to her alma mater, too.” It was the truth. She knew that you wanted to be with Kuroo and Kenma, but she practically begged you to consider it. “She was always really worried that I didn’t have a lot of female friends growing up, what with Yakkun, you and Kenma, so…she thought an all-girls school would be best.”</p><p>You knew the news would crush them, but you didn’t think Kuroo would let it show so much. His usual carefree smile had been replaced with a dead expression.</p><p>“Hanagasaku is a few blocks away from Nekoma…isn’t it?”</p><p>You thanked Kenma for breaking the awkward silence. “Yeah, it is! Actually, we’d be able to go to school together every day. And my parents are letting me stay by myself in Grandma’s house since it’s closer. Um…so, I would be able to see you guys pretty often.”</p><p>You didn’t miss the sliver of relief that crossed Kuroo’s face. He still seemed disappointed, though. Understandable. It had been a long process for you to accept that once again you wouldn’t be going to the same school. Elementary, junior high and now high school. It had been years of waiting and now that hope was dashed.</p><p>“I’m sorry for not telling you guys earlier. I really didn’t think I would get in, and I didn’t want to make you guys flip out for no reason.”</p><p>Kenma nodded. “It’s okay. We’re happy for you. Right, Kuroo?”</p><p>His eyes snapped up and met yours. “Uh, yeah. I am. Really! Guess I’m just caught off guard. I thought it was weird you were around that area not too long ago…so I guess that day we met up, you’d just taken the exam?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>Much to their surprise, both of your parents bowed their heads at them. “Please take care of her while she’s away,” your mom pleaded. “I wouldn’t let her go unless I was sure she’d have friends nearby. Between you two and Morisuke, we know that she’ll be safe.”</p><p>Kuroo’s smile returned ever-so slightly. “You can count on us.”</p><p>Your parents cleared the table and Kenma offered to help, which they accepted. You bit your lip and ran your eyes over Kuroo, who was still seated with you. He looked lost in thought.</p><p>“Hey, um…can I talk to you? In private?”</p><p>Both of you slipped out and headed to your room where you knew no one would be able to snoop on you. You felt a little bad for not including Kenma in this conversation, but this had to do with what happened between you and Kuroo.</p><p>Kuroo settled down on the bed next to you. Your combined weight made the mattress sink. He glanced around at your decorations. Various photos lined the walls. Most of them had him somewhere. You felt a little self-conscious because you hadn’t exactly cleaned up. There was a pile of dirty clothes stacked on your computer chair and old snack wrappers lining the dresser. Not to mention the crooked columns of notebooks that threatened to topple over.</p><p>“Sorry I—”</p><p>“I didn’t mean to—”</p><p>Both of you went silent. You gazed at him expectantly. “You go first.”</p><p>“Sorry I was such a buzzkill,” he chuckled. “I really am happy for you. That school is no joke. Are you sure you want to be around a bunch of snotty girls, though?”</p><p>“Trust me, I’m terrified. I mean, you saw how Watanabe was, and she was just one of many.” You realized you’d segued into the exact topic you needed to address. “Speaking of which…I mean, if you’re done…”</p><p>“Yeah. I am.”</p><p>You fiddled with your fingers, picking away at the stray sliver of skin near your cuticles. “So…that day when you found me, I was really scared that she was going to tell you how we met. I didn’t want you to feel betrayed, you know? I wanted to tell you so bad. I was just scared you’d be mad. Are you…mad?”</p><p>He scratched at his head. “No, I’m not <em>mad</em>. Just…bummed. I already had this intricate fantasy that we were going to be the new power couple and sweep the school by storm.” He snuck you a smug smile. “Not really. I just had it in my head we’d <em>finally</em> be able to spend all this time together.”</p><p>“I know. Trust me, if she hadn’t asked me to, I would’ve gone to Nekoma in a heartbeat.” You spotted his hand on the bed, twitching, looking so inviting. You continued to dig at your nails. “That day with Watanabe, I was a huge bitch. And it’s okay, you can say it. Just maybe not to my face. I was…jealous.”</p><p>Kuroo glanced at you in disbelief. “Jealous? Of what?”</p><p>“Of <em>her</em>. For being so…” Your hands flailed. “She was really forward! She was practically all over you. It didn’t help that I already told her we weren’t dating, so she kind of saw it as an invitation. She was super cute, too! I’ve never seen anyone hit on you before and I thought you were interested, especially since you gave her your number.”</p><p>You rambled on long enough. Your face was burning so much you could feel the excess heat coming off in waves. It didn’t help that Kuroo didn’t say anything.</p><p>“Well…it was dumb,” you stammered. “I thought you were going to hang out with her again like, alone, and I didn’t like it, so I left. Then I just…I got really confused. At first I didn’t understand why it bugged me so much. I…do now, though.</p><p>“I know I sure as hell can’t blame her for wanting to date you. You’re super handsome! No wonder she’s into you! And I know from experience you would make <em>such</em> a good boyfriend. You’re always there for me, I can rely on you, you’ve got this stupidly cute smile and you’re cool. I love how kind and encouraging you are. I like you so much and thinking about you with someone else hurts so bad. Ugh, I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore!”</p><p>Why couldn’t you shut up?! This was so much worse than what you planned in your head! You swallowed your next words and waited for him to respond. Anything would be better than the heavy silence in the room. Even if he laughed at you! At least you’d have closure!</p><p>With his body angled toward you, he reached down and took your hands in his, stilling your nervous tic.</p><p>“I like you,” Kuroo said bluntly.</p><p>Your mind blanked out. “Huh?”</p><p>“I like <em>you</em>,” he repeated with emphasis, “not whatever-her-name-is. And I like you a lot. Like, the shit you’re saying now is literally killing me and I wanna kiss you so bad.”</p><p>You were still having difficulty registering what he just said. Oh god, did you have amnesia? Did you forget how to think or talk like a normal person?</p><p>“I’m gonna kiss you now. If you don’t like it, you can punch me.”</p><p>His hands slipped from yours and he drew them up to your face instead. Your heart clenched in your chest and its beats skyrocketed in number while he closed the distance. He was so close.</p><p>He rubbed his thumbs over your cheeks and gazed at you through half-lidded eyes, leaning forward, tilting his head. Your noses brushed against each other before you felt your mouths meet, lips slipping into a soft lock.</p><p>You couldn’t move. You were frozen. You just stared at him bug-eyed.</p><p>He pulled back just far enough where you could feel the ghost of his breath. He searched your expression, waiting for any kind of response. It took a few seconds before your brain rebooted.</p><p>“You <em>like</em> me?”</p><p>“Yeah,” he laughed under his breath. “I have for a while.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“You want me to show you how much?”</p><p>He leaned forward again. This time, you were ready. You met him halfway and eagerly accepted his kiss, a small sound of surprise coming from his throat. He eventually smiled against your lips, his hand dragging down to your shoulder, then your waist. He tugged you closer to him as your mouths moved in tandem.</p><p>You couldn’t hear anything but the heady sound of each soft kiss. It numbed your brain and sent tingles down your spine at the same time, the sensation traveling from the pit of your stomach and down your thighs. You placed your hand on the back of his neck and toyed with the hairs there, eventually burying your fingers in his bedhead and drawing him in.</p><p>Every time his body brushed on yours, all of your nerves sparked. You were melting and drowning at the same time, struggling to get your bearings. His body heat radiated in just the right way where you could became hyperaware of him. Underneath the thin material of his shirt, warm skin stretched taught over a wealth of developing muscle.</p><p>You nearly recoiled when you realized he was trying to slip his tongue in. You weren’t expecting it at all, and the sensation was slimy and foreign to you. You bit back your quick moment of disgust and did your best to let him in, wondering if you’d be too freaked out to thoroughly enjoy it. It was awkward, you weren't going to lie. His saliva slipped into your mouth and his tongue probed against every inch, eventually finding yours and winding around it.</p><p>You let out a small squeak when you’d had enough, nails digging into the back of his neck, and he took it as a sign to stop.</p><p>He pulled back and a string of saliva still connected your mouths to each other. His tongue darted out and he licked at his lips, effectively cutting it in half. The rest of it fell flat against your chin.</p><p>“You taste like fish,” he laughed, voice still husky.</p><p>You pushed him away from you, embarrassed beyond belief. “Why would you say that?! It was because of dinner!”</p><p>“I knowww,” he drawled, grabbing your wrist before you could make your escape to the bathroom. “I was just teasing you. If I didn’t like it, I would’ve stopped.”</p><p>“So you’re saying you like the taste of fish? In my mouth?” You groaned. “That’s so weird. Why are you so weird?! You’re ruining our first kiss!”</p><p>“Says you. Besides, what’s it matter? We’re gonna have way more now.” For emphasis, he placed a gentle smooch on your cheek. The spot burned when he drew back. “Can’t believe it took some random girl hitting on me for you to ‘fess up.’</p><p>You glowered at him. “W-whatever! I just realized I liked you, okay?”</p><p>“You sure? Because that was a long list. I’m gonna refer to it whenever you give me attitude.” He placed another warm kiss on your lips before you could protest. “I’ll have to thank her. I’ll hook her up on a date with someone from school.”</p><p>“God, you’re so…” you trailed off. You couldn’t bring yourself to say anything else. His lips were soft, warm, inviting. His hair was even more disheveled from before, bangs dipping over his dark, seductive eyes. You bit your own lower lip in anticipation. “You’re so <em>hot</em>. It’s pissing me off!”</p><p>He snorted with laughter and you both found yourselves indulging in several more heated rounds. It was hard to stop. Every time you caught your breath, he was more than happy to steal it away again. He was getting more desperate. Your name left his lips in a murmur every now and then, his thumbs drawing lazy circles on either side of your waist.</p><p>He moved his mouth away from yours for a moment, instead hovering just against the shell of your ear. “For the record, you’re <em>hot as hell.</em>” He chuckled and you felt a gentle tug on your lobe, his teeth releasing it almost immediately.</p><p>“S-shut up.”</p><p>“No dice.” He planted a kiss against your neck.</p><p>You knew he was trying so hard to keep it together. You decided to take charge and show him he wasn’t going to keep getting away with messing with you. “Since I’ll be living alone, why don’t you sleep over? Without my parents there, you won’t even have to sneak in. I can give you the spare key.”</p><p>He flushed with color. Ha. Knew it. You giggled and pushed him off you. You opened the door but lingered in the frame, leaning against it, hip cocked.</p><p>Kuroo huffed, picking himself up off the bed. His knees wobbled. “Oh, you’re gonna get it. You think this is funny?”</p><p>“Hilarious.” You rounded the corner, knowing he was going to follow you.</p><p>You halted in the middle of your stride and Kuroo rammed into you from behind. You nearly toppled over, but you caught yourselves before you made a spectacle.</p><p>“Wait. Uh, is this going to be weird? With Kenma?” It was going to be such a shock to him. He was friends with the two of you. “I mean, I can’t imagine he’ll be okay with us all over each other now. Unless…did I read into it? Shit. Are we in a relationship now or what?”</p><p>He grinned. “Want me to ask your dad for permission first?”</p><p>“<em>Tetsurou, </em>be serious<em>.</em>”</p><p>You weren’t sure what compelled you to say it, but his reaction was priceless. His jaw went slack, eyes widening to the point where you wondered if he had mentally checked out. His mouth twitched and he opened it to say something, but nothing came out.</p><p>He eventually did return to his senses, but you could tell you’d knocked the wind out of him. “I think my brain just imploded.”</p><p>“Okay then, <em>boyfriend</em>,” you teased, thoroughly amused at how easy it was to throw him off his game. “Should I just call you that instead?”</p><p>Kuroo grabbed your hand and led you out to the living room where Kenma and your parents were. You weren’t sure what he was planning to do, but you were getting nervous. He planted himself in full view of everyone. Given his demanding presence, everyone stopped what they were doing to turn their attention to you.</p><p>“We’re going out now,” Kuroo told everyone with a cocky grin. He held up your laced fingers for emphasis.</p><p>Kenma peered at you from underneath his hair. His eyes slid shut and he chuckled. “It took you long enough. Did you confess like we practiced?”</p><p>Oh, man. You couldn’t wait to unpack that later. “Nope. <em>I</em> said it first.”</p><p>Your mom smirked, tossing a pillow across the room at your dad. “You owe me ten thousand yen.”</p><p>“Kuroo! I put my faith in you!”</p><p>“Hey,” he laughed, “I couldn’t get a word in! She was rambling about how hot and cool I was, and I couldn’t interrupt. I needed it for future blackmail.”</p><p>Despite how embarrassed you were that everything was out in the open, you couldn’t deny how full your heart felt. You wouldn’t trade this moment for anything.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>originally this was going to be the conclusion but then i was like 'haha nvm' and i just kept going. so...stay tuned!</p><p>it's a wonder i got to work on this at all this weekend due to (1) feisty kitten. she has 3 legs, a 2-second attention span and 1 hidden desire to watch the world burn.</p><p>thanks for reading! &lt;3</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Valentine's Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Celebrating the most notoriously cheesy and cliché holiday of the year? It's all Kuroo's fault, naturally.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i wanted to thank everyone for your wonderful feedback on the last chapter! you have no idea how happy it made me knowing that y'all enjoyed it so much. &lt;3 </p><p>thanks for sticking around thus far. working on this fic is so much fun and i'm motivated to do so because of your support!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Despite being “officially” together, final exams in school made it difficult to spend any serious time with Kuroo. You had to put the novelty aside so you could focus on graduating from junior high.</p><p>You were honestly still in shock every day when you woke up and realized that you were going out with someone like him. It was insane. Sure, you’d been friends forever, but the idea that he held any sliver of attraction towards you was still foreign. Sometimes you just wanted to ask him if he seriously needed a check-up. Maybe all those volleyballs to the face actually did result in some kind of traumatic brain injury.</p><p>February rolled around and you felt obligated to go through the cliché Valentine’s Day schtick. Why didn’t anyone tell you that homemade chocolates were such a bitch to make? You’d done it every year and they still never got any easier. It didn’t help that you were going for a more adventurous recipe. You were positive you burned at least three batches before coming out with something halfway near edible. You cooled them as best you could before arranging them in a neat box, tying it up with a crimson ribbon and depositing it in your backpack so you could drop it off at Kuroo’s school.</p><p>Yaku really only knew Kuroo by reputation on the court. You never talked much about them to each other on principle, mostly because you were bored of their chest-thumping nonsense. Yaku had no idea what transpired between the two of you. Not that it was any of his business, really. He never expressed an interest in your love life and often teased you for having crushes on boys who were, by his words, “a lost cause”. Whether he meant for you or them, you couldn’t be sure.</p><p>“Did you make me chocolates?”</p><p>You narrowed your eyes down at him. Still no growth spurt on his end. You weren’t going to tell him that it probably wasn’t going to happen. “You don’t even like sweets.”</p><p>“Yeah, but I still want chocolates,” he mumbled, eyes straight ahead. “If I show up to volleyball practice without any, I’m in charge of taking everyone’s dirty jerseys to the laundromat.”</p><p>“Ew!” You shuddered. “You guys don’t even have any more games before the end of the year. Why would you need to wash them?”</p><p>“It’s a tradition. Kind of like hazing, I guess? They like to make fun of anyone who doesn’t get chocolates on Valentine’s Day, so they rub salt in the wound by making them do something gross.”</p><p>“Um, wow. I don’t get guys at all.” You chewed on your lower lip. You only had Kuroo’s chocolates in your bag right now. You really didn’t think Yaku would want any.</p><p>Yaku sighed. “I guess I should just bring something to rub under my nose so I don’t have to smell how dirty it is.”</p><p>“You know, this could’ve been avoided if you’d just <em>told</em> me about this stupid tradition. Then I would’ve made you some.”</p><p>“You don’t get it. You’re not allowed to do that, it’s considered cheating. I really thought you’d make me some, it doesn’t count otherwise!”</p><p>“Well I didn’t, okay?” You felt really guilty and a little bit like a bad friend. You’d always given Yaku homemade chocolates this time of year. He didn’t even eat them half the time, but the gesture obviously meant something to him. “I mean, I brought store-bought ones for the class which includes you.”</p><p>He looked so disappointed. He must’ve really known what kind of biological horrors those jerseys had seen.</p><p>“Besides, it’s not like you ever get me anything for White Day,” you mumbled.</p><p>“Wha-?” He stopped his stride and you kept going, not wanting to be late for class. He caught up to you in just a few seconds, the rhythmic smacking of his shoes on concrete reverberating through you. If you got a headache, he was why. “Is that why you held out on me this year? Because I wasn’t giving you anything?”</p><p>You shook your head. “No, Yakkun. Just, no. I’m not <em>that</em> petty. Jeez.”</p><p>Yaku wouldn’t have to see the guys until practice, so that did give him some time to track down someone who might’ve made him chocolates. Honestly, he was a good looking guy and you wouldn’t be surprised if he got a few confessions this year. You weren’t too worried about him wrangling up a gift so short-notice. One look at his puppy eyes and any of his underclassmen would just throw their chocolates at his face.</p><p>You made your way to your lockers to trade out your shoes. You placed your bag on the ground and rummaged through it. You didn’t really want to carry Kuroo’s chocolates around with you the entire day, only because you were scared that you might drop or jostle them. Instead, you lifted it out of your bag and carefully slid it inside.</p><p>Yaku noticed the entire thing, because his eyes remained on the package. “You said you didn’t make any for me.”</p><p>“I didn’t.” You zipped up your backpack and tried not to notice how confused he looked. It was irritating. He must not have thought you would ever have the guts to make chocolates for someone. “Those are for someone else.”</p><p>“Oh…” He paused for a moment before his features went lax. “Let me guess! The student council president?”</p><p>“Dude.” You started down the hall. You didn’t want to get into this. It wasn’t that you were ashamed of your relationship with Kuroo, but Yaku was being way nosier than usual. It didn’t sit right with you. You knew that the only reason why he was so adamant in finding out more info was because he wanted the chocolates for himself. All to get out of some stupid tradition. “As if. That guy is super weird. I’m pretty sure he’s a closet pervert. No one can be wound up <em>that</em> tight.”</p><p>Yaku chuckled. “Alright, a more serious guess. What about the guy you tutored last semester?”</p><p>“He’s a first year. Absolutely not. I’m not interested in having to babysit the guy I like.”</p><p>“So you’ve narrowed it down to a second or third year…” He hummed to himself. “Is he in our class?”</p><p>You had already entered through the classroom door, so you refused to let him interrogate you anymore. You just wanted to get through today and hop on the bus to Kuroo’s place. You’d already gotten permission from your parents to do so. He didn’t even know that you would be coming.</p><p>Yaku seemed to get the hint that you weren’t interested in playing twenty questions, so he instead ambled over to his seat, scribbling furiously in his open notebook. If you knew him, he was already making a complex list of potential people and drawing his own conclusions on why you would go after them.</p><p>You handed out all of your obligatory chocolates, ones that you’d snagged at the 100 yen shop. You didn’t have any regrets about doing so. It wasn’t like people cared much. They just wanted to gorge themselves on a crap ton of sugar before final exams week. Relatable.</p><p>Yaku gazed down at the package you put on his desk. He was so forlorn.</p><p>“You’re really bumming me out.”</p><p>“None of the girls here gave me anything special.” He rested his fist against his cheek, lips turned outward in an uncharacteristic pout. “Aren’t you going to give yours out?”</p><p>“Later.” You went back to your desk and tried to will the clock to move its scraggly little arms faster. If only you could time travel…</p><p>Lunchtime rolled around and you found yourself a secluded spot inside to have your lunch. You’d slipped away from Yaku on purpose because you were tired of him obsessing over chocolates. You settled underneath a set of stairs in the left wing of the school. It was near the basement, which was supposedly haunted, so a lot of people steered clear. You didn’t really care. The scariest thing you’d seen around here was a spider that you could’ve sworn threatened you by raising its leg in a slicing motion across its cephalothorax.</p><p>At least Kuroo and Kenma kept you company. You had lunch around the same time so you all spammed each other in the group chat.</p><p>You did have to wonder, though…would anyone confess to Kuroo? It wouldn’t surprise you at all. He was the star player of his team now and was well-loved by peers and underclassmen alike. Kenma told you last year that someone did end up trying to give him a love letter. You always wondered why he rejected them, but he just blew it off and said he wasn’t interested in dating.</p><p>Now you knew better.</p><p>“There you are!”</p><p>You nearly jumped out of your skin when your childhood friend leapt down the flight of stairs like it was nothing, successfully landing directly in front of you. His shoes slammed against the ground with his full weight. How did he not break both of his legs? He dropped down into a crouch next to you and tilted his head, peering at you expectantly.</p><p>“Nervous about your chocolates?”</p><p>“Yakkun, I’m not trying to be a jerk, but you’re getting on my nerves.”</p><p>You watched his brow furrow. “I talked to all the girls I’m friends with and none of them have any spare chocolates. You’re the only one who does. You know I wouldn’t ask you if I didn’t absolutely need it.”</p><p>“If you’re really that bothered by it, then show up, grab the laundry, and <em>I’ll</em> take it to the cleaners. Okay? Then you won’t have to stress so much about it.”</p><p>He went silent for a moment, weighing his options. His slender arm lifted just high enough for him to tangle his fingers in his hair and push it back. From here you could see the crinkles in his forehead, ones that you’d teased him about when you were younger. You used to tell him he looked like an old man. You still thought that to this day, but you weren’t cruel enough to hold it over his head any more.</p><p>“You like this guy more than me?”</p><p>You stared at him. “It’s not a popularity contest. We have different relationships. He means a lot to me and I want to show him that. You’re always going to be my best friend. I’m sorry that it had to be this year where I stopped making you chocolates. But to be honest, it stopped being cute a long time ago, you know? We’re not dating, we don’t like each other like that, you don’t eat chocolate, so there’s no point in doing it anymore.”</p><p>He searched your face for a few moments.You weren’t sure what to make of his expression. It was the blankest you’d ever seen it. His brows pulled apart, his lips fell into a thin line, and his bright brown eyes were all-knowing. You grew a little uncomfortable at how intense he was being and nearly sighed in relief when he pulled back.</p><p>“When did you get so mature?” he mused. “I’ve always been the levelheaded of the two of us.”</p><p>“Oh, come <em>on</em>.” You grinned despite yourself. “So does this mean you’re going to use me as your laundry goblin? I’m going to haul the clothes on my back and hoard them into the washing machines?”</p><p>“So long as this isn’t some kind of roundabout plan to smell the guys’ dirty laundry.”</p><p>You huffed. “Why do you say these things to me…? Only <em>you </em>would think of something like that and try to pin it on me.”</p><p>Yaku chuckled and slid over to you, stretching his legs out. You marveled at the distance in length, though he didn’t have to know that. He tapped his feet together and you settled into comfortable silence. The thing that made your relationship work for all this time was because he knew when to back off. He understood your anxieties and often shielded you from things you didn’t want to deal with.</p><p>“Whoever the guy is, he doesn’t deserve you,” Yaku murmured. He jerked his right foot so that it bumped against yours affectionately. “If he ever gives you any trouble, just let me know. I’ll set him straight.”</p><p>“Thanks, Yakkun. I can always count on you.”</p><p>By the end of the day, you were a little nauseous from the sickly sweet stench of chocolate wafting through the halls. You breezed through your notes and pop quizzes, trying to stay focused as each teacher stressed the importance of upcoming exams. You were not to put any additional energy into silly little holidays like this, not when your entire lives were on the line!</p><p>Suffice it to say, you bolted out the classroom door as soon as the bell rang. You didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye to Yaku before he trudged his way to the gym for practice. Kuroo had better appreciate the amount of energy you were exerting just to see his disgustingly gorgeous face.</p><p>The sun already started its quick descent beyond the horizon. Shorter days in winter made the season that much more dreary. You felt like you were chasing the light through the long, winding hallways filled with students contemplating their impending freshman year of high school. You did your best to dodge the droves of sappy couples who brushed hands and locked pinkies. You never thought you’d be the type to fall for that kind of thing, but here you were, looking forward to just that.</p><p>You huddled in front of your shoe locker, safely tucking the box of chocolates into your bag. You had to time this just right. Kuroo had volleyball practice after class. You didn’t want to show up and force a confrontation in front of his teammates. You didn’t want to embarrass him.</p><p>You were nervous for some reason. You’d never felt like this when going to meet Kuroo. Excited? Yes. Relieved? Definitely. This was different. The caterpillars had gnawed their way to the pit of your stomach, cocooned themselves and metamorphosed into those fluttery little bastards that threatened to shake you at your very core.</p><p>Gross.</p><p>You stepped aboard the bus and steeled yourself. Felt like all eyes were on you. You dipped your head down and shrank to make yourself at least feel smaller, weaving your way toward the nearest empty seat. You plopped down onto the bench and tucked your legs in, bag secured on your lap as you peered through the window opposite of you.</p><p>You remembered how scared your mom was of you traveling this way, but you were old enough now where you knew how to recognize something was going on. You tried to tell her that you’d never been looked at twice by a guy when you were out, let alone been the subject of harassment. She still fretted over it. You understood why.</p><p>The junior high loomed over you as soon as you headed toward the school gates. Your uniform was like a beacon, letting every single student know that you didn’t belong here. Since you’d been here a couple of times, you knew the gym wasn’t too far. You picked up the pace to avoid lingering longer than you needed to. In the midst of your power walk, you’d managed to not trip and bust your face on the concrete sidewalk.</p><p>To your utter surprise, Kenma was just about to head into the gym. You called out to him. He stopped midway and turned to face you. His expression warmed over instantly, something you never got tired of seeing.</p><p>One of the guys next to him peered at you with suspicion. “Dude, who’s your friend?”</p><p>He ignored his teammate and you shot him a bright – though shaky – smile. “Kenma! I’m so glad I caught you. Could you get Tetsurou? I have something for him.”</p><p>Kenma peered at you through his dark curtain of hair. “I thought…? Kuroo isn’t here. He skipped practice today to go pick you up from school.”</p><p>The words washed over you, chilling you to the bone. “What?”</p><p>“It was supposed to be a surprise, so he didn’t text you.” Kenma ran his hand along the length of his arm, biting at his lower lip. “He left here probably twenty minutes ago. When I saw you I thought he’d dragged you back here.”</p><p>“Shit…” You huffed. “I was trying to surprise him, too. I mean, normally I’d think something like this was hilarious, but now what?”</p><p>“You should call him. He has his phone on him.” Kenma tilted his head, waiting for you to pull yours out.</p><p>You fished it out of your backpack and nearly dropped it once it began to vibrate in your palm. The contact picture flashed on the screen briefly before you hit accept.</p><p>“Hey, where are you?” Kuroo’s voice sounded a little worried. “I’m outside your school. I thought you had literature club today.”</p><p>“Uh…well…” You laughed. “I actually skipped it to come and surprise you at school.”</p><p>“Hey,” Kenma called off to the side as proof that you were telling the truth.</p><p>Kuroo was silent on the other line for a moment, then you heard a shuffle. “Okay, I’m heading back. We can meet halfway. What’s a good place? I think the stop near the bookstore – uh, sorry man! Crap, I think I just pissed him off. Gotta go. I’ll text you in a sec.”</p><p>He hung up. You stared at the background on your phone. A cheesy photo of you and Kenma shooting up peace signs in front of a water fountain at the mall. Kuroo had seen it before and pouted that you chose that over his numerous selfies, but he soon relaxed when he found out your main lockscreen was a candid photo you took of him in his volleyball uniform.</p><p>“Well…guess I’ll go.” You sighed. “Oh, hey. I bought these for you since I was sure I’d catch you today.” You dug into your bag and fumbled around against your notebooks. Of course it sank to the bottom of the pocket. You pulled it out and presented the nicely wrapped box to Kenma. “I figured you’d prefer this over chocolates.”</p><p>He lifted the cover and peered inside. It was a generous slice of apple pie.</p><p>“I picked it up from the store down the street. I think you said you like that brand, right?”</p><p>Kenma nodded. He probably hadn’t expected to be ambushed like this. “Thanks. I’m going to eat it when I get home.”</p><p>“Hope you like it. See ya!” You waved and took off, fully intending to try and track down the mysterious bookstore that Kuroo mentioned. As if there weren’t a ton of them between here and your school.</p><p>Kenma turned and made his way back to the gym doors, fingers tightening over the box. Several of his teammates had gathered around the doors, peeking out from behind it with bugged-out eyes.</p><p>“Who <em>was</em> that?”</p><p>“Kenma, you’re dating a girl from another school?! You’ve been holding out on us the entire time?!”</p><p>“Look! He’s blushing!”</p><p>You checked your text messages. A lot of spelling errors aside, Kuroo jotted down the name of a bookstore that you weren’t too familiar with. You looked it up and recognized the general area it was in, but not the street. Guess you would just have to snoop around to find it. It’s not like he would be hard to miss.</p><p>By now you breathed in the warm glow of dusk, antsy to see him. It felt like this was the longest day of your life. Once you’d managed to push your way to the front of the bus and hop off, you ducked underneath one of the buildings to move out of the way. You didn’t want to cause problems and unnecessary crowding for the others behind you.</p><p>You glanced down at the picture of the storefront on your phone. It was obnoxious enough; a chibi cat with oversized glasses beckoned any wandering souls, paws tightened over the novel in its hold. You scanned the horizon, eyes flicking bit by bit, trying to catch a glimpse of anything remotely familiar. Maybe down this way?</p><p>It was rush hour more or less and the sidewalk bustled with activity. It was a race against time for everyone to head home as trains and buses were packed, much to everyone’s chagrin. You always were grateful you didn’t need to be stuffed like a sardine into either of those things. You once saw a train so stuffed to the brim that the crowd had to all suck it in just so the doors would close properly.</p><p>Might as well head down and hope you stumbled onto the landmark. You bit your lip and wandered down the unfamiliar street, looking for any kind of sign that would point you in the direction you needed to go.</p><p>You thought you heard your name and paused so you could scan your surroundings. You tried to pick Kuroo out of the crowds, but it was just too difficult to pinpoint him in the sea of disgruntled office workers. In a halfhearted attempt to tighten your focus, you blocked out the overwhelming scents of perfume, cologne and despair mixed in the air. Hmm. After not hearing anything else, you turned heel and continued on your way.</p><p>What the—? There it was again.</p><p>No, that was definitely Kuroo. You whirled around and spotted him at the end of the street, a lopsided grin on his face.</p><p>It was downright silly how ecstatic you were to see him. You ignored all sense of self-preservation and dropped your cool façade like it never existed in the first place. You mirrored his expression as the both of you drew together, ignoring the rush of people around you. You cut through the crowds and ended up face to face. You hadn’t even noticed you’d run over until he reached down and pushed the flyaway strands from your face.</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>“Hey yourself.” You tried to suppress the giddiness in your voice. “I guess we’re both slackers today. I didn’t think anything would be able to pull you away from volleyball.”</p><p>“I was thinking about your chocolates all day.”</p><p>You snickered. “And what if I didn’t make you any?”</p><p>“Then we’d march over to the store, you’d buy some, hand it to me and lie that you made it from scratch. Duh.”</p><p>He reached down and grasped your hand, tugging you along with him. He was much more familiar with this part of town than you were. You trailed after him, trying to stifle the goosebumps that littered your skin. You tried to tell yourself it was due to the dropping temperature, but that would just be lying.</p><p>You stared in wonder at his figure. The sweep of his hair in that haphazard style. His broad back and shoulders. He was still in his uniform, too, but he looked so much more mature than you did. You relished the warmth of his touch and squeezed his fingers absentmindedly, noting that when you did so, a slight flush crept up his neck and the tips of his ears.</p><p>You stopped at a pop-up coffee shop. It looked like there wasn’t much of a wait right now, but there were a few tables to choose from. You stood next to Kuroo in line, his thumb brushing across the back of your hand.</p><p>“You should’ve seen the look on Kenma’s face when I told him I came for you. He was so confused. Poor guy. If only I’d told him about my plan! Then he could’ve convinced you to stay at school. But I knew that if I did, and he tried that, you would immediately figure out what was up and get all smug with me when I showed up.”</p><p>Kuroo’s shoulders shook with laughter. “Hey, I could’ve pretended to be surprised.”</p><p>“You’re a terrible liar. You always purse your lips when you do it.”</p><p>You got up to the front and both of you ordered some tea. Anything to keep you warm while you settled down to spend time with each other. You were happy to take the cup in your hands and see the inviting steam waft out of the top. Grandma used to have tea with nearly every meal. She especially liked genmaicha. You weren’t one for the taste, but ordering it really calmed you down.</p><p>A couple of people got up and you were quick to sit down in their place.</p><p>“Couldn’t wait to see you. You live way too far away, you know that? Next month is gonna be really nice. Have you started packing yet?”</p><p>You shook your head. “You know I’m a professional procrastinator. I’ll probably start the day before I leave.”</p><p>“Well, Kenma and I already volunteered to help you unpack.”</p><p>“I know for sure we won’t get anything done. You’ll be too busy trying to find evidence of me pining after you. I told you I don’t have a diary!”</p><p>“A likely story. I remember you never went anywhere with your notebook the first time we hung out. You were so protective over it, too.”</p><p>You brought the cup to your mouth, hiding your smile behind it. “I was writing stories in them! I wasn’t scribbling down bad poetry.”</p><p>“I dunno, ‘Ode to Kuroo’ has a pretty nice ring to it. I bet you gloated about the time you got a perfect score on that quiz and I had to pay for Kenma’s desserts for weeks.”</p><p>Falling into conversation with him was so easy. It didn’t feel like you’d been apart at all. You were so distracted that you realized you almost forgot the entire reason why you had met up in the first place.</p><p>You reached down into your bag and carefully placed the box on the table. Your heart pounded. The ribbon was still crisp and only slightly wrinkly in the middle of the strand. The edges of the box showed no signs of wear. You were thankful for that.</p><p>Kuroo gazed down at it for a second, and when he lifted his head, his eyes were alight. Having him look at you that way already sent an involuntary shiver down your spine.</p><p>“Oh? What’s this?” he teased, placing a hand on the top of it. He rapped his fingers along the top, the rhythmic sound rivaling that of your own heartbeat. He picked it up and pretended to shake it, causing you to shoot him a fierce pout. “Hope it’s a pair of new shoes.”</p><p>“I hate you,” you laughed. “Just open it!”</p><p>He did. Once the cover came off, you anxiously leaned forward to see what the damage was. The Love Gods weren’t fickle after all. They gave you their blessing to make the perfect batch <em>and</em> it was still settled in its place. No signs of melting. No cracks. Just smooth curves in perfect little hearts, all for his taking.</p><p>“Wow…” he mused. “No offense but, this is much better than I was expecting.”</p><p>“You and me both.” You didn’t have the energy to take offense to that. “I really hope that you like them, because I’m pretty sure my stove is already plotting my untimely death for making it work overtime.”</p><p>He grabbed one of them and rolled it around his fingers. He was really trying to draw this out and make you squirm. You didn’t care. It was what you loved about him, even if it drove you nuts.</p><p>“You can tell me if it’s bad,” you murmured, feeling a little self-conscious. “I mean, if it’s not good, we can throw it out and get you something else.”</p><p>“Yeah, right. I’m gonna eat each and every one of ‘em.”</p><p>He finally popped the chocolate into his mouth. He kept his expression entirely neutral. You weren’t sure if it was because he was hiding his true feelings or because he was just taking in the flavor.</p><p>Kuroo seemed to realize he was being a little unfair, so he smacked his lips pointedly. “I think…it’s probably the best chocolate I’ve ever tasted. You’re not getting any of it.”</p><p>“Hey…” You reached for the box and set it down in your lap, staring at them. You’d tasted one right after they cooled, but maybe something went wrong. What if it was bitter? Or chalky? You hesitated to grab a piece, though a big part of you wanted to find out just how genuine his words were.</p><p>As you willed yourself to do so, someone walking by cried out. You watched their arm shoot up as they tried to steady themselves from a fall and felt a searing pain spread all over your lap. You sat there, in stunned silence, trying to make sense of what just happened to you. Your thighs stung and felt like they’d been rubbed raw. The chocolate box was soaked.</p><p>“Damn! I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”</p><p>You lifted your eyes up to the person next to you. You spotted the empty tray of cups in their hand. Oh. So that was it.</p><p>“Let me go get you some napkins. Hold on!”</p><p>They dashed off and Kuroo climbed to his feet. He snaked his way around the table and crouched down so he could inspect the damage. You could feel him gingerly take the ruined box from your hands and place it on the table. He peered at your bare legs and his fingers just hovered over the scalded skin, seemingly relieved that it hadn’t started to blister.</p><p>The guy who’d dumped his drinks on you came back. He stammered out another apology as Kuroo took the copious amount of napkins that he held in shaking hands. He blotted away the excess droplets that ran down your legs, being as gentle as he could so he wouldn’t hurt you.</p><p>“You okay?”</p><p>“Y-yeah, I think so…” You winced. “Oh, god…the chocolates are ruined.”</p><p>He only got to eat one of them, you realized. Tears welled up in your eyes – and not from the physical pain, but the disappointment that caused your heart to constrict. You’d worked hard on them. You ran around the city trying to find each other for those dumb things. You made Yaku feel horrible by not giving them to him. And look what it got you? A lap full of someone’s drink. Shocker.</p><p>“Can you stand up?” Kuroo frowned and reached for your hands. You gripped him and drew yourself up, ignoring the sharp pinpricks of pain that littered the already tender area. “There’s a pharmacy not too far from here. We’ll walk as slow as you need.”</p><p>He went to grab what was left of the chocolates, but you both knew they were a lost cause. The drink had made a complete mess of them. You stopped him from trying to carry it, instead tossing it in the nearby trashcan. Your palms were already sticky with its remains.</p><p>It was a few more seconds of silence before either of you said anything.</p><p>“For the record, I wasn’t lying. They were awesome.” His lips quirked into a half-smile. “You did a good job. I mean, I can’t wait to brag to anyone who’ll listen.”</p><p>“Thank you. I really wanted them to be special.”</p><p>“They were. They got us together, didn’t they?” How was he able to spin it so positively? “I mean, not to say that I’m <em>glad</em> it turned out this way, what with you being hurt and all. I didn’t really think I cared much about this kinda thing until I saw them…”</p><p>That did make you  feel better. He did seem genuinely upset that there was nothing left.</p><p>You crossed through the doors of the pharmacy. The harsh fluorescent lights didn’t do anything to improve your current threshold of pain. You ambled after Kuroo as he scanned the signs, looking for the first aid products.</p><p>Kuroo was deciding which one to buy. He had one product in each hand, surveying the ingredients list with a keen eye. He was such a nerd.</p><p>“Look at this dude.” You pointed at the nearby bottle of stool softener. You both gazed at the pinched smile on his face. “His eyes…he’s screaming for help.”</p><p>He busted out laughing. “I can’t unsee it. I’m guessing the ‘Max Unclogger’ didn’t work out the way he planned.”</p><p>“He looks like he almost passed out the last time he was on the toilet. And he just barely survived to go to the photoshoot to promote this stuff.”</p><p>Kuroo tossed the bottle in the air and caught it with ease. “I’ll pay for this. My fault you got hurt in the first place. We should’ve gone inside somewhere.”</p><p>You shook your head. “Honestly, it was really sweet. The tea would’ve been nice with chocolate. Mine was so bitter.”</p><p>“That’s ‘cuz nothin’ is as sweet as you,” he practically sang, tugging you towards the checkout counter.</p><p>“Ew, don’t! That’s so cringy.”</p><p>By now a dark blanket encompassed the entire shopping district. Light pollution made it nearly impossible to see the slivers of stars peeking through it, but a girl could dream. You followed him toward the nearest bus stop which was thankfully empty.</p><p>“Sit down, I’ll put this stuff on. Watch me work my magic.” He cracked his knuckles.</p><p>You realized how embarrassing this was. The flashing neon on nearly every corner of the block painted a myriad of colors across Kuroo’s face, creating shadows that made him look entirely more mature than you’d ever seen him. He was down on one knee, so he was level with your thighs, his fingers swiping over the end of the tube. He ghosted down the patches of raw skin where you’d been burned. His hands coupled with the cold cream was a strange sensation. He massaged it lightly, never lingering longer than necessary.</p><p>“Such a gentleman,” you joked, trying to lighten the mood.</p><p>“Hey, just say the word and I’ll flip the switch.” His stuttered words said otherwise. He tried to play it cool, but his embarrassment bled through. You wondered if he knew how much of a dork you thought he was. He couldn’t fool you. “Any better?”</p><p>You lifted your leg up and down to test it. “Yeah, actually. Thanks.”</p><p>“I’m the one who got to feel you up, <em>I</em> should be thanking <em>you</em>,” he joked. He drew himself up and slid into the spot next to you. Your bodies rested against each other as you drank in the moment. “You’re really soft.”</p><p>“Um…thanks?” You snorted with laughter. “It’s the fat. It’s like a cushion.”</p><p>“Tell me about it. One of these days you’re going to let me lie on your lap. Then I’ll probably never be able to sleep in my bed again.” He exhaled hard. “It’s getting kinda late. We should grab something to eat before I take you home.”</p><p>“Lots of places are going to be booked solid since it’s a holiday. Not that I’m expecting us to go somewhere fancy. But look, even that ramen place is packed.”</p><p>He considered your options. “I know one place that won’t be crowded.”</p><p>So here you were, your first Valentine’s Day as a couple, in a Freshness Burger.</p><p>It was nearly empty given the occasion. Aside from one lone family on the other side of the place, tucked away and trying to wipe down the massive mess their kids made with the condiments, you had some privacy.</p><p>You grabbed a couple of fries from your plate and chomped down on them, Kuroo sucking down a melon soda. Running around did build up your appetites after all. You hummed in appreciation, glad that you both had a second to breathe.</p><p>“Ready for finals?”</p><p>You nodded. “I mean, I already know I’m getting into the school I want, but there’s still a lot of pressure. It’s going to be such a relief once we have time off from school.”</p><p>“Hey, did you already order your new uniform?”</p><p>That made you a little suspicious. “Why?”</p><p>“I took a look on their website. You guys have those short skirts…” He shot you a cheesy grin. “Don’t get me wrong, the one you’re wearing now is nice, but that means I get to ogle you every day before school.”</p><p>You narrowed your eyes at him. “When have you been such a perv? Have I always just turned a blind eye because I thought you were too mature to fall into this kinda thing?”</p><p>“It’s not like I’m this way with all the girls. Just you.” He peered at you from underneath his flipped hair, relishing the way you froze.</p><p>“That reminds me. I’ve been meaning to ask…are you, like, sure you want to date me?”</p><p>You took a giant bite of your hamburger to hide your disappointment. It wasn’t a question you asked lightly. The answer actually scared you. Of course Kuroo had mentioned multiple times that he liked you in the short time you’d been together, but you couldn’t wrap your head around why.</p><p>“What kinda question is that?” His tone was flat. “I’m positive. Why, are you having second thoughts or something? Is it weird?”</p><p>“No, it’s not like that at all. I…” You swallowed your food down and it still felt like it was sitting in your throat. “I just don’t want you to feel like you <em>have</em> to. Just because we’ve been friends for a really long time doesn’t mean we have to date. If anything, it can make it kind of awkward since you know them <em>too</em> well and they kind of end up becoming a sibling, like how Yakkun is to me. There’s no way I could date someone who could remember every single time I wet the bed or puked when I stayed too long on the merry-go-round.</p><p>“People put stock into that ‘childhood friends’ thing so easily without thinking about how that relationship goes hand-in-hand with the awkwardness of growing up. Or how your family just kind of adopts them into your life and you end up sticking together because it’s familiar and easy. Even if you don't want to. Or how you know exactly which buttons to push with them and get on their very last nerve.</p><p>“But I know you felt sorry for me because of what happened with my grandma and how I’ve never had a boyfriend, so I just want to make sure you don’t feel obligated to go out with me.”</p><p>Kuroo mulled over your words while he crumpled up the empty wrapping paper. He leaned back in his booth and ran his eyes over you. After crossing his arms, you watched his shoulders start to shake. He tossed his head back and let out a piercing laugh, one that made some of the nearby customers jump.</p><p>“Now you’re just being a jerk. I’m serious!”</p><p>He pinched the bridge of his nose and you could see he was starting to tear up. Whatever he was about to say, you knew it wasn’t <em>that</em> funny.</p><p>“No, it’s just…you watch way too many cheesy romance movies, you know that?” He picked up a fry from your tray and tossed it back into his mouth. “Not everyone who has a friend from when they were kids falls for them. Even if they manage to keep in touch for years. It’s just…so…dumb…” He started coughing from laughing so hard. “People expect that from close friends, right? You get older, suddenly you have this big sexual awakening, and since they already know you really well, you fall into a relationship. If that’s what you think this is, then I guess I should be a lot clearer.”</p><p>You were confused. You really thought the basis of this relationship was that you were familiar. Which…okay, given his perspective, <em>did</em> seem like a copout. Intimacy was multi-faceted. That much was clear. After all, you and Yaku had never felt anything remotely romantic for each other. To this day you were weary of people shoving you together just because you got along. It was tiresome and if anything was a wedge between you.</p><p>“After that day we met, where you stood up to me, I’m pretty sure I was writing your name with hearts around it for <em>weeks.</em> This cute girl actually put me in my place and then bought me a brand new volleyball.”</p><p>He placed a hand against his cheek and let his elbow rest on the table, surveying your expression for anything telling. “This? Us? It’s about chemistry. It’s about how you manage to crack me up all the time. Or how we can sit here in this fast food restaurant just eating and I’m having the time of my life. How you always give me the best reactions and then dish it out just as hard ‘til I’m a mess. If everyone who was friends as kids ended up with each other, then hell, people wouldn’t bother dating at all. It doesn’t happen as often as you’d think because people grow apart and lose touch or whatever.</p><p>“So I’m not dating you because we have history. It’s ‘cuz I can’t see myself with anyone else. You’re smart, funny, soft, sweet, stubborn as hell, you give your all and look out for the people you care about. Did I mention how good you look? I think at this point you’ve monopolized my wet dreams since I was like thirteen.</p><p>“I wanna spend time with you alone <em>now</em>. Not just to hang out. I want to be able to do stuff like go out on dates. Kenma tells me that you’ve got me wrapped around your finger, and don’t go spreading this around, but he’s right. How could I <em>not</em> wanna be with you?”</p><p>You felt warm all over and your throat was dry enough where you couldn’t respond even if you wanted to. Kuroo looked smug, as always, that he’d successfully managed to fluster the hell out of you. You were almost mad at him for holding it over your head. Almost.</p><p>“It’s fine, you don’t have to say anything. I know you’re crazy about me. You made me chocolates and then skipped all the way to my school just to surprise me with them.”</p><p>Your jaw tightened. “Hey! Don’t make me look like the lovesick one! I’m not the one who brags about wanting to feel me up, or…saying stuff like, you…think about me like that.”</p><p>“Uh, no offense, but I’m your boyfriend. I sure as hell think a <em>lot</em> of things about you. It’s a pain in the ass.”</p><p>You rolled your eyes, though the embarrassment was still comfortably settled in the apples of your cheeks. “If you don’t shut up, I’m throwing the rest of these fries at you.”</p><p>“Now I <em>know</em> that’s a lie. You’d never waste food.”</p><p>You pelted him with one just to make a point. He picked it up off the table and held it out to you, a twitch of his eyebrow and quirk of his lips indicating he wanted to feed it to you.</p><p>“Um, no.”</p><p>He grinned. “Come on! I declared my undying love. The least you can do is humor me with this.”</p><p>“You’re going to be gross and shove it in my mouth as soon as I open it. I’m not giving you ammo for your wet dreams.”</p><p>“Lame.”</p><p>Against your better judgment, you did lean forward and bite the end of the fry, tugging it towards you so it could slip past your lips. Kuroo was appalled. You called him out on his bluff and it was evident he never thought you’d go for it. In response, you chewed it up and showed him the pile of mush on your tongue. His expression soured.</p><p>“You sure know how to kill the mood. Probably for the best. I would’ve had to wrap my jacket around my waist when we left, and no one’s pulled that look off since the ‘90s.”</p><p>It was still hard to believe that his words were genuine. Logically, you knew they were. Kuroo had made it clear multiple times tonight that he was very much attracted to you. Still, a small part of you just had this nagging feeling that it wasn’t <em>real</em>. You’d been disregarded your entire life and to have someone show genuine affection was terrifying and bewildering in equal parts.</p><p>“Let’s head out. We can take the long way.’</p><p>You fell in line with him as you headed down the sidewalk together. You could’ve taken the bus, but this gave you an excuse to spend more time alone. You were quick to slip your hand around his once he offered it to you. He stared straight ahead, matching his pace to yours, his profile all the more beautiful underneath the bustling nightlife.</p><p>“You know, every time you look at me like that, you make it hard to concentrate. I almost tripped over that crack.”</p><p>You hadn’t realized you’d been so obvious. “I just still can’t believe that I’m with you, that’s all. Girls like me don’t get this kind of opportunity without it being some kind of joke.”</p><p>Your arms swung out together – just a bit – as you maneuvered your way through the crowds. You didn’t really need to say much else. You were comforted having him there.</p><p>You stood at the edge of the crosswalk and waited for the light to change. You were so transfixed on the oncoming traffic that you hadn’t seen him bend down to plant a soft kiss on your cheek. You gasped and immediately separated from him.</p><p>“We’re in public!” you hissed. “There’s like twenty people who just saw what you did!”</p><p>“Who cares?” He certainly didn’t, judging from that cheeky smile. “I couldn’t wait any more. I’ve been staring at your lips all night.”</p><p>He was so unfair. Saying things like this when you couldn’t turn the tables on him. You’d rather not risk the harsh judgment from the elderly pedestrians; they’d guilt you into pledging abstinence for the rest of your life.</p><p>More familiar buildings came into view. Your house was just up ahead. You slowed your steps and so did he. You knew that neither of you wanted to part, especially not when the next time you’d see each other was probably the day you’d move. Your shuffling eventually faded into a full stop, both of you lingering around an empty house for sale.</p><p>“Hey,” Kuroo muttered, glancing over his shoulder briefly. “Wanna make out?”</p><p>You couldn’t help but laugh. His rapid whispers made it seem like he was giving you the secret to immortal life.</p><p>“I’m serious.” He peered around the corner and gripped your wrist, tugging you behind the concrete that shielded the front yard from curious onlookers.</p><p>You scrambled after him, nearly losing your balance, only to realize you were pressed flush against the gritty texture of the wall. It would’ve hurt your back if you didn’t have your backpack on. Kuroo didn’t seem to notice, because he ducked down and captured your lips with his.</p><p>“Mmmph…”</p><p>You reached up and tangled your fingers in his hair, urging him to stay right where he was. All of the tension from earlier finally snapped. You moved your lips against his, open-mouthed, desperate and messy. Like you hadn’t just been joking twenty minutes ago about how he managed to get ketchup on his shirt.</p><p>He caged you in, backing you up until you felt the searing heat of his torso mold with yours. You gasped his name and took the initiative, wanting to be the one to send him into a sputtering, love drunk mess. He parted his lips and that was all the opportunity you needed. You slipped your tongue in and he made a noise of surprise, nearly choking, dropping more weight on you.</p><p>His hand had been on your cheek at first, but after cupping it and brushing his thumb across it, he trailed down your hips and rested on your thighs. He squeezed you experimentally, fingers digging in, admiring the way it sank in and cushioned his palm.</p><p>You grabbed his other hand, the one resting on your neck. You guided it down the expanse of your collarbones before forcing him to cup it around your breast. He squeezed it once before breaking away to marvel at it. You rested your hand on top of his, encouraging him to flex his fingers, lips swollen, tingling and shiny with your shared saliva.</p><p>“Why are you <em>so soft</em>?” he asked in wonder.</p><p>You heard a door slam nearby and jumped away from each other. Kuroo hurriedly adjusted the shirt of his uniform, which you’d gripped and tugged after your initial kiss. He glanced down at his fingers and flexed them, still marveling at the sensation from just moments before.</p><p>“Sooo…does that make up for the ruined chocolate?” You laughed breathlessly, still trying to regain your composure. You weren’t going to forget the contrast of his rough, calloused hands kneading at your thighs.</p><p>“Hell yeah…” He swallowed. “I’m gonna…uh…go now.”</p><p>You finally broke apart. Before he could disappear down the street, you called out to him. “Tetsurou! You’d better impress me next month for White Day.”</p><p>For once in his damn life, he didn’t have a comeback lined up. Hmm…despite your misfortunes, maybe today was a success after all.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>in this house we know that all of the haikyuu bois love fat girls. kuroo is weak for soft, thick thighs and no i don't take constructive criticism.</p><p>i actually think v day/white day traditions are super cute and i don't care how many fics i read or write about them, it's a blast every time. hopefully you guys can forgive me for diving headfirst into this trope.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The New Normal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Why didn't anyone tell you that high school would be so chaotic? The year just started, damn it!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i almost forgot to upload today because of the 3-day weekend...oops</p><p>this is legit the last pre-written chapter i have and im gonna bust my ass today to finish the next. i took next week off so i SHOULD be able to churn out some more. i don't like being behind for you guys!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You rolled over and pressed the home button on your phone, the screen lighting up.</p><p>4:45 A.M.</p><p>Too early to get up. You needed to get back to sleep! Could someone just tell your gut to chill? You felt like you needed to use the bathroom even though you were positive it was just the nerves barking orders at you. You squeezed your eyes shut and rolled over in your bed, arms encircling a large anime body pillow that you considered your deepest, darkest secret. Kuroo, Kenma and Yaku never needed to know.</p><p>The comforter was soft and freshly washed. The bed sank and encompassed you entirely, attempting to lull you into sweet, sweet dreamland, free of any responsibilities yet crawling with zombie apocalypse scenarios. An absence of sunlight made it that much more tantalizing to drift off and let future you worry about the horrors of your first day at high school.</p><p>You checked the clock again, barely squinting as if doing so would “save” the sleepiness.</p><p>4:46 A.M.</p><p>UGH.</p><p>You tossed and turned for another half hour before you forced yourself out of bed. You felt like shit. You looked like shit. You tried to stumble your way into the bathroom without getting a good look at your reflection. You shed your clothes and kicked them off to the side, hopping in the shower and hoping that the warm jets of water would bring you some sort of relaxation and zen.</p><p>Yeah, right.</p><p>You were too nervous to eat and knew that keeping anything down, bowl of cereal included, was out of the question. Anxiety was such a little bitch. Trying to make a fool out of you. Well, it succeeded. Was it happy now? Why couldn’t your brain just chill the hell out? Maybe experience some slight discomfort and major excitement? Instead, here you were, glaring at the front door and just wishing you had a fast forward button to get through today.</p><p>You nearly jumped out of your skin when you saw the door handle jiggle. A couple of familiar figures let themselves in, not bothering to cross the threshold when they saw you were only a few feet away.</p><p>“Mornin’,” Kuroo yawned, pretending like he wasn’t drinking in the sight of your bare legs on display. “Look at you! I guess it’s official. You’re part of the elite now.”</p><p>“Yeah, I feel on top of the world.” You grabbed your bag from the couch and gave them both a shaky smile. “Ready to go?”</p><p>“I need to use the bathroom first.” Kuroo didn’t waste any time, shucking his shoes off and sprinting down the hall.</p><p>You rolled your eyes. Of course. He had this fear of needing to use the restroom on public transportation. Kenma informed you of the seat wetting incident of 2002. He still had a grudge against that bus driver who refused to make an impromptu stop despite Kuroo’s pleads. To be fair, that was pretty traumatizing. Especially that one day when all three of you ended up on a route that same guy was subbing in for. Apparently he remembered Kuroo, because the two of them locked eyes with each other in the rearview mirror for much longer than was probably advisable given one of them was driving.</p><p>“You look great,” Kenma told you. His sincerity made you a little embarrassed. “I like the color combo. Although…it’s going to be hard to keep it clean.”</p><p>“Tell me about it. I’m not looking forward to having it dry cleaned. Plus I had to get this one custom ordered for the size; it’s not like I can just pick it off the shelf.”</p><p>You glanced down at your state of dress. Okay, yeah, the skirt <em>was</em> shorter than you would like. It didn’t help that the school board was sadistic enough to require you to wear knee-high socks. As if that curbed any glances from creepy, perverted adult men who needed to be behind bars. The skirt, collared shirt and socks were a crisp white. You guessed it had something to do with promoting innocence and purity. From an all-girls school? As if. The fitted jacket was sky blue pulled together with a soft pink tie. The pleated skirt also had a trim that matched the jacket, because of course it did. Coordination was a thing.</p><p>You felt like a walking plume of cotton candy fresh out of the carnival.</p><p>Kuroo stepped out and shut the door behind him, a mischievous grin on his face. “Sorry for the wait. Your toilet needs time to recover.”</p><p>“You’re so gross!” you huffed, trying to wriggle your hand out of his. He wouldn’t let you.</p><p>You started on the not-so long trek to the nearest bus stop. At least you could ride together for a little while. Kenma got off on the stop before yours, so you would be able to wish him good luck. You really hoped he had a good year. He deserved it. Without Kuroo as his safety blanket, you were sure he was going to be more absorbed in his phone than usual.</p><p>The bus doors opened and Kuroo gestured towards it. “Ladies first.”</p><p>“I’m not going first. You just want to look under my skirt.”</p><p>“And?”</p><p>Kenma shook his head and pushed your back slightly. He moved in-between you and Kuroo so the latter wouldn’t get that eye candy he was so desperately hoping for. You were grateful. As attracted to him as you were, you still got overloaded easily with the attention lavished all over you.</p><p>You all settled down in a thankfully empty row of seats. The bus started off with a jerk and you found yourself leaning into Kuroo. He must have thought you were making a move, because he lifted his arm and draped it casually over your shoulder. You shook your head and tried to play it off like he was annoying, but both of you knew you were loving it.</p><p>“Can’t wait to join the volleyball club. I’ll finally be playing with people my own size.” Kuroo chuckled. “It’s more of a challenge that way and I’m looking forward to it.”</p><p>“What club are you thinking of joining?”</p><p>You hummed and glanced at Kenma, mulling over his question. “I’m not sure. I was reading some stuff online and it doesn’t look like we have a literature club. No writing club, either. The closest thing I saw was the school newspaper, but honestly, that’s really boring.”</p><p>“You could always join tea ceremony or flower arrangement,” Kuroo joked. “I would love to see you try and maneuver without knocking something over.”</p><p>“Um, wow? Rude?”</p><p>“I’m guessing home ec is part of the curriculum.” Kenma shifted in his seat, dropping his head down closer to his locked knees. “Whatever you choose, they’ll be lucky to have you. You’re a lot of fun to be around.”</p><p>“Thanks, Kenma. That really means a lot coming from you.”</p><p>The bus stopped and Kenma drew himself up from his seat. He shot you both a closed-eye smile and lifted a hand in a goodbye wave. You sat in silence for a few more seconds before you were both sure that he was gone. Kuroo immediately closed the gap between your bodies, his thigh flush against yours.</p><p>“Hey, where’s my bento?”</p><p>“Your what?”</p><p>“Ben-to,” he drawled. “I know you made me one. I bet you even went all for the heart shaped rice and everything. I wanna see it.”</p><p>“Tetsurou, when do you think I had time to make you something like that? Besides, if I made you one, I would’ve made one for Kenma, too.”</p><p>He looked like he didn’t fully believe you. “Oh yeah? Then you wouldn’t mind me checking your bag, right?”</p><p>You clutched it even tighter in your lap. “No way.”</p><p>“I knew it. C’mon.” He tugged at the straps and you refused to let him have it.</p><p>His chuckles coupled with your protests caused some of the other riders to shoot you dirty looks. Kuroo didn’t seem to care. He was hell bent on thoroughly embarrassing you.</p><p>He managed to snatch the bag out of your hands and held it high above his head. You reached over his lap to try and grab it, only for the wheel to hit a solid bump in the road and jostle you into sprawling across his legs.</p><p>You realized what it looked like. You could feel the horrified stares of everyone around you. You scrambled away from him, trying hard to lift yourself without exposing your underwear. Damn this skirt. Kuroo hadn’t said anything or reacted at all, really. He just stared straight ahead, motionless.</p><p>“G-give it back,” you murmured, voice nearly cracking.</p><p>He did so. The mood instantly turned awkward. You both tried to let your unintended audience forget everything they just saw.</p><p>You hopped off the bus and Kuroo walked alongside you. Once you were out of earshot from the passengers unloading, he doubled over laughing.</p><p>“God, you’re so annoying!” You pushed him halfheartedly. “We’re going to be banned from that bus forever!”</p><p>“I never thought you’d be the type to make the first move, in public no less,” he teased. “I guess I’m just that irresistible. Or is it that you’re sad we’re going to different schools, so you needed to get your fill?”</p><p>“Ugh…”</p><p>Just the two of you was nice, though. You kept in sync as you followed the crowds of students who were heading in your direction. You felt a little out of place considering the majority of people were from Nekoma, seeing as how their uniforms matched Kuroo’s. Most of the students going to your school probably had their rich parents arrange for them to stay in the dorms or get their butlers to drop them off every morning.</p><p>Neither of you wanted to address the inevitable split. You lingered at the entrance, far away enough that you wouldn’t be in the way of the horde of students marching in. You surveyed them for a moment, in wonder at how excited and nonchalant they all seemed to be. This wasn’t even your school and your stomach started to cramp.</p><p>“I was gonna walk you all the way there.”</p><p>“Yeah, I know, but you shouldn’t do that. If you double back you’ll probably be late.” You adjusted the strap on your shoulder, trying hard not to drop everything and just run to the nearest bus stop and hightail it back home. “Besides, if you come with me, you might just check out all these hot, rich girls and fall head over heels.”</p><p>Kuroo wasn’t as amused as you were. Okay, so maybe self-deprecating humor wasn’t the best icebreaker right now.</p><p>He didn’t say anything, but he did dip down to press a soft kiss against your mouth. You didn’t even have the chance to return the gesture before he pulled away, your lips clicking as they parted. You watched him swipe his tongue over his bottom lip subconsciously.</p><p>“I should get going.” You were not going to let him see how flustered you were. “I’ll text you later around break time to check in.”</p><p>“Cool.” He put his hand in his pocket and angled away from you, focusing his attention on the gates. As collected and confident as he seemed, part of you knew that he was just as nervous as you were. He was better at hiding it.</p><p>You sighed and opened up your bag, knowing full well you would never hear the end of this. You dug inside and clasped the bento box in both hands before holding it out to him.</p><p>“I knew it!” He grinned, snatching it immediately. “What’d you make me? Katsudon?”</p><p>“You suck so bad. You had <em>better</em> not tell Kenma. I really was going to make him one, but I fucked up when frying up the meat and I couldn’t give it to him in good conscience.”</p><p>“Sure.” He snorted. “Just admit it! You’re trying to rack up points to wifey status.”</p><p>That actually did get a laugh out of you. You exchanged a few more moments of teasing between you before you ushered him to bend down. You put your hand on his shoulder and planted a warm kiss on his cheek.</p><p>“See you later.”</p><p>“Bye!”</p><p>You turned heel and could barely keep yourself walking straight. He was so infuriating. He knew exactly what to say to turn you into a babbling mess. Dummy.</p><p>You were so busy fantasizing about him that the weight of where you were finally took its toll on you. You stopped mid-step and took a large gulp. It was so…intimidating.</p><p>Beyond the tall iron gates was a massive courtyard with a circular driveway going right past the front doors. The grass was lush, soft housed hundreds of bushes with a rainbow of flowers of all sizes and shapes. Must’ve been nod to the name of the school. The three main buildings were connected together with breezeways. A giant clock nestled within the crisp white bricks, the giant hands a stark reminder of where you should be at any given time.</p><p>While the school itself was impressive, and looked more like a boarding school for the elite who were too busy to raise their own kids, you were more in awe of the students themselves. Without a guy in sight, it was a sea of pastel uniforms, ribbons, clouds of perfume, glossy hair and sharp stares.</p><p>If you shit yourself, it was going to show on the uniform. You really needed to get a grip.</p><p>It looked like several groups had already convened near the gates, probably people who had been in the same social circles since they were born.</p><p>You chewed on your lower lip and walked through, trying to weave your way around everyone. You knew where your homeroom was and as soon as you found it, you were going to either a.) sleep with your eyes open and astral project all the way back home or b.) divulge in a little self-hypnosis to convince yourself that today was going to be the best day ever.</p><p>You entered the classroom and realized that there was a seating chart posted on the blackboard. Well, that made things easier, you supposed. Some of the girls were already crowding around their desks, excitedly talking about all of the exotic trips they’d taken over the break. You were more than a little overwhelmed by the time you slunk into your seat, drooping over the desk.</p><p>“OH!”</p><p>You jumped to attention when a bubbly voice cut through the ongoing conversations around you. You nearly winced when you realized who it was: Aiko.</p><p>“I can’t believe it! We’re in the same homeroom!” She pumped a fist. “This is such a relief. I was scared I’d have no one to hang out with! And look! I sit right next to you!” For emphasis, she plopped down on her chair and dumped her briefcase on the floor. “I tried to text you about whether you got in, but you never responded!”</p><p>You had kept up a conversation through text for the majority of the break. Eventually reading her replies and coming up with things to say became too much pressure, so you left her on read. “Sorry, I moved closer to school so I was super busy.”</p><p>“That’s okay! I figured it was something like that.” She tore open a fresh packet of milk candy. “Want one?”</p><p>“No thanks.”</p><p>“More for me, then.” She popped it in her mouth and hummed in delight. “I heard that the clubs are recruiting people at lunch. We need to make sure we get accepted into something good. I heard anyone who’s left over has to join the kendo club. And the captain this year is someone who’s won nationals for two years in a row now! She’s super intense. I’m pretty sure she’s got a little fan club nowadays. Especially since she’s supposedly really handsome, whatever that means!”</p><p>You put your hand on your cheek and watched her ramble. Well, at least you weren’t alone, like she said. Although Aiko was just as energized and talkative as when you first met, she at least seemed genuinely interested in being friends. You wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. It was a hell of a lot better than locking yourself in the bathroom stall to eat lunch so you wouldn’t be caught all alone.</p><p>“I heard our homeroom teacher is a guy!” You heard someone off to the side whisper.</p><p>“Is he married?”</p><p>“Like that matters.” One of the more confident ones in the back of class, seated on top of her desk, shot everyone a lascivious smirk. “Any man who willingly works in all-girls school is here for just one thing. Don’t mind me if I take advantage of it.”</p><p>Ew, gross. What the hell was with these girls? A grown man being in a relationship with a high school girl, regardless of what year she was in, was straight up creepy. There was a reason he preyed on people who were younger than he was. Didn’t they get that? You tried not to make a face and risk putting attention on yourself.</p><p>The bell rang and everyone slipped into their seats. The switch from loudmouthed, perverted gossip to demure angels was like experiencing whiplash. Everyone waited with bated breath when the classroom door opened and your homeroom teacher walked in.</p><p>You flicked your gaze around the room, a little concerned at the reaction. Every single one of the girls had their full attention trained on him. He didn’t seem to mind. He couldn’t have been any older than thirty, well-dressed and a no-nonsense attitude that radiated off his body. He set his briefcase down on the desk and peered at you through a neat sweep of dark hair, a few rebellious strands dangling downwards to his brows.</p><p>“Welcome to class 1-7,” he began, silken voice causing nearly every girl in the room to clutch their chests and fist their skirts. “My name is Dobashi Kiichirou and I’m going to be your homeroom teacher. Please pay attention. I’m going to take roll call.”</p><p>You waited for your name to be called and watched as several girls stammered out their responses. It was hard to tell whether they were acting innocent to get him to let his guard down, or if they really were flustered. Judging by the conversation from earlier, you really didn’t want to know.</p><p>“Please remember that you will be receiving an extra thirty minutes at lunch to sign up for a club. It is mandated you join at least one. I have been informed this morning that anyone without one will be immediately enrolled in kendo.”</p><p>Everyone gulped audibly. You felt that.</p><p>“Unfortunately, the English teacher meant to teach your first period was involved in an accident before the semester started. As such, I’ll be filling in for her the duration of the year. I’m going to get started in putting some exercises on the board so we can gauge your level of understanding.”</p><p>“Score!” one of the girls behind you whispered to her friend. They both snickered to themselves.</p><p>Okay, you understood that Mr. Dobashi was good looking, but why celebrate someone’s injury just to get more time with him? These girls were even more infuriating than you thought. Being a social pariah didn’t seem so unappealing now.</p><p>Despite your earlier reservations, classes were actually fine. Just. Fine. You didn’t shrivel up and die like you thought you would. You really thought that you somehow managed to get your test scores mixed up with someone far more deserving for this school. It wasn’t the case. You already ran through tons of pages in your brand new notebooks, scribbling away in the margins as fast as you could given the speed of their lectures.</p><p>The bell rang and it was time for lunch. You stood up to put your materials away and Aiko was already twenty steps ahead of you, darting out the door and calling your name.</p><p>You didn’t want to shove your way out, so you waited until the rest of them had filed out. You were nervous about the mess that laid ahead of you. Club recruitment was another level of insanity.</p><p>It was difficult to find something interesting. A lot of the clubs were sports oriented and even if you expressed interest, you were sure that the girls would turn their noses up at you or laugh. You had been in the literature club in junior high and you were positive you could find something similar.</p><p>“Cafeteria is this way! C’mon!” Aiko hooked her arm around yours and nearly dragged you down the hall. She seriously had no concept of personal space.</p><p>The room was sheer chaos. You could barely think. Between the raucous laughter and gleeful cries, your head felt like it was about to spin right off your neck. Several of the clubs set up information booths and had fliers and upperclassmen available to chat with. The biggest lines were for track, tennis and swimming.</p><p>“We should join one together! I don’t mind!”</p><p>“Well, I mean…what are you into?” You didn’t know much about her on a personal level. “Sports? Art?”</p><p>“Honestly, I’m not really sure…” She laughed and fumbled with the ends of her hair. “I, um, don’t really know what I want to do after I graduate. But I’m open to trying something new! Maybe we can do something like that! A baking club!”</p><p>You hummed noncommittally. “Well, I did see that the school newspaper was looking for new members, and from what I see, it doesn’t look like people are hopping on the opportunity.”</p><p>Both of your gazes trailed to the handful of students that tried to pass out fliers to several uninterested girls. If they were desperate, then they couldn’t very well turn you down. Especially with them looking so disheartened. You flicked your chin upwards in direction of the group.</p><p>“Newspaper, huh?” Aiko squeezed your arm tighter. You fought the urge to shake her off. “Hmm…you know, that doesn’t sound so bad! Let’s go!”</p><p>The club members were in a heated discussion when you showed up. They didn’t even seem to notice you at first. Aiko wasn’t shy about letting them know you were waiting. She cleared her throat dramatically and broke into a syrupy smile when they realized you were there.</p><p>“Hi! We’d like to join your club!”</p><p>You were positive it was the president who went around the table to approach you. She chewed on her lower lip. “Nobody put you up to this, did they?”</p><p>“Uh, no. We’re interested. Unless you don’t have any room left.”</p><p>“No! That’s not it at all. It’s just…well…” She trailed off, clasping her hands together in her lap. “You know, sports are way more popular since it keeps you in shape. We’re still a new club and we’re passionate about what we do, so we’d really like the people joining to be genuinely interested. Last year a bunch of first years joined and then chickened out. It put us in a bad position.”</p><p>You did feel for them. While journalism wasn’t your forte, writing was. “We’re serious about it. I have experience with writing and I feel like I could learn a lot from you guys.”</p><p>“Me too!” Aiko made sure not to be left out in this conversation.</p><p>“Th-that’s great! We’d love to have you!” She reached back and grabbed a couple of enrollment forms. “Just have this filled out by the end of the week. Oh, let me introduce you guys to the rest of the club!”</p><p>You were terrible at remembering names and matching them to faces, so you just smiled and nodded as you chatted a little bit with the other members. They seemed wary of you at first, but Aiko’s sparkly personality managed to soothe their nerves a little bit. You were more than happy to let her talk.</p><p>You were invited to sit with the club for lunch, so you did. You were feeling a bit relieved that you’d been adopted into a group, so to speak. You were so used to being alone that you forgot how nice it was to feel included. You just hoped that this would last. It wasn’t like friendships in high schools were notorious for being without drama.</p><p>“We’re still looking for an advisor for the club this year. Our teacher last year retired so we need someone who will help us out. I’ve tried approaching a couple of people, but they already had other commitments.”</p><p>You frowned. Well, maybe the club wouldn’t take off after all. You caught the intimidating stare of the kendo club captain and tensed in your seat. Oh, hell no! You were not going to be her willing punching bag. If you were going to make this work, then you would have to get a better understanding of the teachers and their personalities. Surely someone would have the time.</p><p>The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. Classes were…well, classes. It was a lot of lectures, note taking, secondhand chalk dust and the furious tapping of fingers on smartphone screens. A lot of the girls were having conversations despite looking like they had their full attention ahead. They had it down to a science.</p><p>“I have to run because it’s my turn to make dinner, sorry I can’t stay and walk home with you!” Aiko waved at you before jetting out the door. She really was like a wind-up toy sometimes. Did she ever run out of energy?</p><p>Several of the upperclassmen muttered to themselves about sneaking off behind the gym to light up a quick cigarette while the teachers were occupied with questions after class. You were tasked with cleaning duty for this week. Great. And your partner? Who knew where she went.</p><p>You shot off a quick text to Kuroo and Kenma to let them know you had to stay after. Cleaning the classroom was a pain and a half, even more so because you were doing it alone. You found the closet with supplies and rummaged through them. You weren’t going to half-ass it, but you wanted to make sure you could leave here on time. You were exhausted.</p><p>You began the grueling process of wiping everything down, sweeping and vacuuming. This sucked. You wanted to get out of this uniform and change into an oversized t-shirt and some sweatpants. Nearly ten hours in this bra was already pushing it. Maybe you should’ve brought some headphones so you could at least pass the time with some music.</p><p>“Are you here by yourself?”</p><p>The wooden handle of the broom clattered to the floor as you whipped around to face the owner of the voice.</p><p>“Oh, Mr. Dobashi. You scared me.”</p><p>He chuckled. “Sorry. You must have been concentrating very hard. I did call your name.”</p><p>“That’s my fault, then. I’m almost done here.”</p><p>“I’ll lend you a hand and make sure to speak with the one who was supposed to help you. I promise I won’t implicate you.”</p><p>“Thanks. I appreciate it.”</p><p>You didn’t want to intrude any more. You were sure he was exhausted with all of the starry-eyed stares whenever he spoke to his students. He had been mobbed by multiple girls when he was in the halls and you even heard about them bragging about going in to talk to him on his lunch break.</p><p>The added help really did make a difference. Both of you put away the supplies and made sure to do one more thorough sweep of the classroom for anything you might’ve missed. Once he gave it his seal of approval, you were finally able to grab your things and head out the door.</p><p>Once you left the main doors to the building, you were surprised to see that there was still a fairly good amount of students who hung back for whatever reason. You exhaled and tried not to draw any attention to yourself. You were so absorbed in your own beeline toward the exit that you hadn’t noticed Mr. Dobashi still at your side.</p><p>He called your name to get your attention. “See you tomorrow.”</p><p>“Ah…yeah. Have a good night.” You thanked him again for what he’d done for you. He turned away and you watched something small drop from his pocket. You could’ve ignored it, but you didn’t. You stopped midstep and headed over to the object, peering down at it before picking it up between your fingers.</p><p>“Mr. Dobashi! You dropped this.”</p><p>He turned around to approach you, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. “Ah. Thank you very much. I would have been in trouble if I forgot my fob for my apartment.” He chuckled. “I suppose this makes us even.”</p><p>You saw an opportunity and you took it. “Sir, are you an advisor for any of the clubs this year?”</p><p>The friendliness seemed to fade slightly, but he managed to patch his mask back up. “No, I’m not. Why do you ask?”</p><p>“The newspaper club is looking for someone. I was told that the president has been trying to find someone, but teachers without club assignments are difficult to come by. I understand if you’re not interested. I just thought I’d ask.”</p><p>He didn’t look too enthused. “I see. Speak to me at the end of the week should you not have any other offers. I’ll consider it.”</p><p>“Thank you. I won’t let them know and get their hopes up. I appreciate you at least entertaining the idea.” You shot him a half-hearted smile. “Bye.”</p><p>You tried not to notice the way the other girls in the courtyard looked at you. You weren’t sure if they thought it was laughable or if you were a threat, but you really didn’t care to entertain them. You fished your phone out of your pocket and dialed Kuroo’s number, trying to see where he ended up.</p><p> Much to your surprise, you heard the familiar ringtone go off not too far from where you stood. You glanced up and tried to see if he was around. No way. He would’ve been hanging out here for a while if that was the case. You squinted and saw the group of girls hovering near the entrance of the school, their flirtatious voices grinding against your eardrums.</p><p>“…and you’re <em>sure</em> you don’t want my number? You could seriously model! My dad owns a fashion line and he could pull some strings.”</p><p>“No thanks.”</p><p>Sure enough, Kuroo was the one who had gathered so much attention. It didn’t surprise you. This place was chock full of girls and most of them really only had one thing on their minds: boys. It didn’t help that he was drop dead gorgeous as it was. You bit your lip and ambled forward to see if you could catch his attention without causing a scene.</p><p>His eyes narrowed with mischief as he excused himself from the other girls, heading straight for you. You felt so awkward. He stopped right in front of you.</p><p>“You good?”</p><p>“Yeah, I think so. You didn’t have to wait for me.” You could feel the stares on you intensify. All of the heat rushed to your face.</p><p>“Of course I did. That’s what boyfriends do. And I’m the best one, right?” He snatched your hand before you could protest. You nearly stumbled once he tugged you along with him, fingers easily lacing through yours. “Nice meeting you guys. Take it easy!”</p><p>The murmurs started before you even got through the exit. Kuroo slowed his pace once he knew you were out of earshot, making sure that you were side by side. He let out the most dramatic sigh you’d heard to date.</p><p>“Sheesh, you’d think they would’ve caught the hint! I told them I was waiting for my girlfriend but they didn’t back off at all. Bold. And kind of rude.”</p><p>“I can’t believe you just…said that, in front of all of them.” You weren't sure if you should be relieved or worried. You could already picture the interrogation you’d face tomorrow. “I’m really glad to see you, though. I didn’t think you’d stop by, especially when I told you I had cleaning duty.”</p><p>He shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. I wanted to walk home with you. I already let Kenma know so he wouldn’t freak out. Now don’t leave me in suspense. Was it everything you ever dreamed, or what?”</p><p>“Or what,” you quipped. “It was fine, I guess. Just a lot of…cramming information in my head. What about you? How did it go? Did you join the team?”</p><p>Kuroo hesitated a little bit. He scratched at the back of his head. “Yeah, I did. Did you know that your friend Yaku was going to Nekoma?”</p><p>“Yakkun? Yeah. I could’ve sworn I told you. Wait…” The gears took a little longer to turn since you’d had such a long and eventful day. “No way. He joined too?!”</p><p>He scoffed in response. “I’m surprised he didn’t text you. You might get your ear talked off tonight. Just a warning.”</p><p>“Oh, god. What did you two do?”</p><p>“Nothin’.” Kuroo stopped and lingered near the curb. He always walked on the side closest to traffic. You’d teased him about it before, but he just shrugged it off and said that it was because he was hoping he’d catch sight of that old volleyball you chucked into the garbage truck all those years ago.</p><p>His eyebrows knit together, and he considered his options before turning his attention to you. He didn’t look angry, necessarily, nor was his expression severe enough to be disappointed. But…there was something lingering behind those dark eyes of his.</p><p>“Did you tell Yaku we were dating?”</p><p>Oh. So that was why he seemed so serious. “No, I didn’t.”</p><p>The answer was one he already knew, but you were positive it was just a lead up to his real question. “Why not?”</p><p>“Yakkun is really protective of me, Tetsurou. We’ve known each other for a really long time. You’re my first boyfriend ever and you two haven’t exactly gotten along during junior high. It wasn’t because I was ashamed or scared to tell him. I just didn’t think it was any of his business, honestly.”</p><p>“I mean…” He looked uncharacteristically vulnerable right now. You watched him bite the inside of his cheek and his shoulders tensed. “I told everyone who’d listen that we were dating. It was a big deal to me. I guess I just thought it was the same for you, too.”</p><p>“It <em>is</em> a big deal. But Yakkun would’ve confronted you and I didn’t want to risk that, not when we just started going out. I didn’t want him to get in the way and make things weird for us. Like…I wouldn’t put it past him that he grilled you. Right? He always knows what to say to hit where it hurts, he can be a real demon sometimes.”</p><p>Kuroo’s face wrenched up and he let out that huge, obnoxious laugh. It was so bad that a couple of passersby shot him a dirty look. “Demon! Yeah! That’s the perfect description!”</p><p>“Told you.” You gazed at him deeply. “I’m not embarrassed to be with you, dummy. If anything, I should be warning <em>you</em> not to readily volunteer that kind of information. You know? In any case, I’m sorry that he managed to sink his claws in when I wasn’t there. I really didn’t think you guys would meet up so fast. I was kind of hoping we could turn over a new leaf this year since he’s pretty cool and you’re…okay, I guess?”</p><p>He slipped an arm around your waist and pressed you flush against him. “You can just say you’re hopelessly in love with me, it’s so much easier.”</p><p>On the bus the two of you discussed a general summary of your day. Kuroo wasn’t too shocked that Aiko had found and cornered you, especially since she had been blowing up his phone with blurry pictures of you around campus. You threatened him to delete them, but you knew he wouldn’t.</p><p>Kuroo said things were fine so far. He had tried out for volleyball and was a shoe-in. There wasn’t any practice today since people were still getting used to classes. He would let you know his schedule once it did start up, though.</p><p>When you got off at your stop, you were shocked to see Kenma sitting on the bench. He had his phone tilted sideways and looked to be in the midst of a serious battle judging by the pinpoint focus he had on the screen.</p><p>“Dude, I told you we were gonna be super late.”</p><p>“I’ve been trying to beat this boss for the last half hour,” Kenma responded flippantly. “It killed the time.”</p><p>Triumph flashed across his face and he stood, pocketing his phone. He reached into his bag and stretched an arm out toward you, his hand clenched into a loose fist. You turned your hand over and he placed a small object in your palm.</p><p>You gazed at the little keychain. Your eyes bugged out. “Kenma! Did you seriously manage to snag this from the claw machine at the arcade?!”</p><p>“It took a few tries, but yeah. Sorry I made you wait. Last time there were kids behind us so I couldn’t concentrate.”</p><p>You stared at it like it held the secrets of the universe. Your favorite anime character in all of its glory, their signature outfit practically gleaming in the orange glow of the streetlights. You weren’t sure whether you should immediately attach it to your bag or lock it up tight, in a tiny little box where no one on earth would be able to soil it.</p><p>“Way to one-up me!” Kuroo tried to snatch it from you, but you had already shoved it down your shirt. It was the only sure fire way to keep things away from him.</p><p>Much to your chagrin, Kuroo wasted no time in snaking an arm around your stomach, using his free hand to dig past your collar and underneath the soft pads of your bra. You gasped in shock and squirmed in his iron clad grip, the warmth of his fingers seeping into your skin.</p><p>“Let go of me!”</p><p>Kenma observed you with a tired look and sighed while he put his phone away. “Gross,” he deadpanned.</p><p>“Hey! What’s going on over there?!”</p><p>All three of you heard an authoritative shout from a man patrolling across the street. The beam of his flashlight settled on Kuroo. You realized how bad this probably looked. Your disheveled appearance, angling yourself away from him, all while he had successfully wrapped his hand around the keychain the man couldn’t see.</p><p>“Stay right where you are! I’m coming over!”</p><p>You had already planned to apologize and explain yourself to the guy, who was most likely part of this neighborhood’s crime watch committee. Kuroo didn’t give you the option of doing so. He withdrew his hand and darted down the sidewalk, gleeful laughter trailing behind him.</p><p>Kenma grumbled and followed suit, not wanting to be caught up in the interrogation. He reluctantly broke into a jog.</p><p>You narrowed your eyes at both of them. Traitors! They knew your hatred of running was on par with your hatred of confrontation! You gave up, knowing that the guy was going to catch up to you before you could really get going. Besides, you weren’t about to sprint in the dark and risk tripping and ruining your uniform.</p><p>“I saw what happened. Are you alright, miss?”</p><p>You opened your mouth and thought of telling the truth, but a mischievous thought wormed its way across your head. You wrapped your arms around yourself and fake sniffled. “Thank you so much, sir. He’d been harassing me for the last two stops.”</p><p>He looked like the overzealous type, the guy who took this volunteer role way too seriously, because he holstered his flashlight with quick precision. His hands settled against both of your shoulders as he stared deep into your eyes.</p><p>“He didn’t hurt you, did he?”</p><p>“No. I’m okay. Just a little shaken up.”</p><p>“Little shits. Harassing a girl like that, then not even having the courage to own up to their crimes!” He huffed and released you, hands planted on his hips. “We should go to the police station and file a report.”</p><p>Oops. You needed to backtrack – and quickly. “I’m really sorry, but I can’t. I just want to go home and forget this ever happened.”</p><p>“I understand, miss. If it’s alright with you, let me walk you home. I’ll make sure to keep those creeps away from you in case they try to come back!”</p><p>“A-are you sure? I mean, you’re kind of outnumbered…”</p><p>He tossed his head back and barked out a laugh. “Don’t worry about me! I’m a tenth-degree black belt! Punks like that could never stand a chance against me!”</p><p>Oh, God. Why, Kuroo?! Why did he always make you cover for him when it came to shit like this?! The shock on your face was genuine and he knew it.</p><p>“I know. You’re impressed.” His face flushed and you didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Anyway! Let’s get you home!”</p><p>This was not how you expected this day to end. You thought Kuroo and Kenma would relax at your place and have a bunch of fun unwinding from the start of a hectic new year. Instead,  you were being escorted by a chatty guy who decided to tell you – in great detail – about every single martial artist who he had gotten an autograph from. You’d think there wouldn’t be that many, right? Yeah. You’d be wrong.</p><p>You stopped outside the front door and could see the blinds move inside. Fucking jerks. They were already safely tucked away in the living room and were now spying on your awkward attempts to shake off your unwarranted bodyguard. You shot the window a hard glare and nearly jumped when the guy finally stopped rambling long enough to get your attention.</p><p>“Well, glad I could get you here safely. I’m patrolling for the rest of the week. I’ll keep an eye out for you. Oh, and before I forget, I’d like to take a report to the station for you. Could you describe the guys for me? I’ll take notes and pass it along.”</p><p>You were going to let this act drop, but knowing Kuroo was listening in just made your decision all the easier. “Okay. He was about 1.8 meters and had hair that looked like the ass-end of a rooster. It was, uh…dyed blond! He had this smug grin on his face like he thought he was super cool. I’d say he was fit but lean, definitely not as buff as you are. Like, not even <em>half</em> as buff. I mean, if your body’s muscle mass was a ten, he’d be at a solid four.”</p><p>“Scrawny, got it,” the man murmured, concentrating on his scribble.</p><p>“Oh, yeah. <em>Totally</em> scrawny. And half of his eyebrows were shaved off. He had those thingies in his ears – what’re they called? The really big, round piercings?”</p><p>“Ah! I know what you’re talking about. Great. Anything else?”</p><p>“He smelled. Awful. Like that cheap body spray guys douse themselves in the locker rooms after practice.”</p><p>Despite your outlandish description, the guy didn’t falter. “You’ve got a good eye for this, miss. I’ll make sure to pass this along. I patrol here now and then, so I’ll keep a lookout for this creep so he doesn’t bother you again.”</p><p>“Thank you very much.” You bowed to him, trying to segue into saying goodbye. You were ready to end this prank. He didn’t seem to take a hint, though, because he just…kept standing there with this thousand-watt smile. You shot him a nervous one of your own.</p><p>“Well, I suppose…it is getting very late…and I should probably get back to my post.”</p><p>“Yup…”</p><p>“It was very nice to meet you, miss, despite the circumstances.” He dropped his hands down to his hips. “Have a good night. Ah, before I forget, I should probably have introduced myself. Hayashi Minoru at your service.”</p><p>You quickly told him your name and he seemed satisfied, so he finally, <em>finally</em> turned heel and left. You exhaled and let out the breath you were holding, gripping the knob with clammy fingers. The warmth inside beckoned you in, effectively washing away any remnants of your stressful day.</p><p>As soon as you entered, you spotted Kenma on the couch, his back to the window. He was hunched into a ball with his hands furiously tapping on his touch screen. You didn’t even have a chance to wonder where Kuroo was, because he jumped out from behind the door and effectively grabbed you from behind, causing you to jump and let out a strangled shout.</p><p>“You scared the <em>shit</em> out of me!” You snapped, wiggling against him. He caged you in with his stupidly long arms, his biceps flexing as he held you in place. He dropped down and lightly nipped the juncture of your neck and shoulder.</p><p>“That’s what you get for what you said about me.” His breath was warm and sent a shudder down your spine, though you tried to control yourself so he wouldn’t get yet another ego boost.</p><p>“Don’t think I’m gonna forgive you for trying to take my keychain, you jerk.”</p><p>“Wanna know a secret?” His hands wandered down to the plush area of your stomach and he gave a playful squeeze. “Wasn’t interested in the keychain at all, but I knew exactly where you’d put it.”</p><p>“Kenma, Tetsurou is sexually harassing me!”</p><p>The boy in question glanced up at you and smiled. “I can go out and bring back your knight in shining armor, if you want.”</p><p>Kuroo snickered. “Yeah, I’m sure he’d <em>love </em>that. That guy was like a puppy. I bet if you told him to sit, he would’ve.”</p><p>“Oh, what<em>ever</em>.” You rolled your eyes. “He was just doing his job. Anyways, are we going to order takeout or something? I’m hungry.”</p><p>The rest of the night was fairly uneventful. Kuroo and Kenma didn’t stay long considering all of you had homework to do. You were just about to settle down for the night and numb your brain with tasteless reality TV shows when your phone rang.</p><p>“Hello?” Silence. You glanced down at the caller ID and realized who was on the other line. “Yakkun? Are you there?”</p><p>Still nothing. This was so unlike him it was scary. You could handle the chastising and sighs of exasperation. It was unnerving to know that even he could be at a loss for words. You debated on whether you should change the subject and trigger his anger so you could deal with it that way, but you knew that wasn’t the right way to go about this.</p><p>“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was dating Tetsurou.”</p><p>You chewed on your lower lip. It wasn’t about him being possessive or controlling. You and Yaku had been friends for years, over a decade now. You never used to withhold anything from each other. You could see why he’d be upset; you would be too if you found out that he’d been seeing someone for a while and hadn’t even mentioned it. Not because you were jealous, but because you thought it would be something he’d be willing to share with you.</p><p>“Like I told him, I knew you guys didn’t like each other so I didn’t want to make it weird. I didn’t want to cause problems for either of you. I thought…”</p><p>“Well, you thought wrong,” he countered, finally finding his voice. “I could deal with him taking away the spring and winter breaks. It was annoying but manageable when you ditched me to spend your summers with him, too. But then I have to find out from his cocky, arrogant self that he’d been going out with you for months, now.”</p><p>You recoiled. Ouch. “I didn’t know it bothered you so much. You never said that it did.”</p><p>“Of course not! Because you’d get defensive, like you always do whenever I say things you don’t want to hear. I could care less about him. But we’re best friends – or I thought we were. You’re family to me. Maybe I’m overreacting. I have other friends besides you, too. I just never thought that there’d ever be someone more important to you than me.”</p><p>Your chest felt tight and the guilt bubbled in your stomach, rising to your throat. Yaku had been dealing with all these feelings on his own.</p><p>“He’s not more important than you. Our relationship is different. Like you said, we’re…practically brother and sister! I’d never just toss you to the side.”</p><p>“That’s what it felt like.”</p><p>You tried to hide the fact that the frustrated tears had been welling up in your eyes for a good thirty seconds, now. You didn’t want him to feel like he’d made you cry. You brought the heel of your hand up to your eyes and rubbed away anything that threatened to leak out.</p><p>“I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”</p><p>You could just imagine him pinching the bridge of his nose, eyebrows scrunched together and the wrinkles on his face coming in full force. “I didn’t call you to upset you. I wanted to put everything on the table. I’ve kept it in for too long.”</p><p>“Yeah. I get it.” Your voice wavered. Damn it. Keep it together! You swallowed hard. “So…I’ll try to be a better friend for you. I don’t want you to feel like I’m ditching you all of the time, and especially not with the guy I like. I’d be hurt too if you did that to me. Will you please just tell me? When you start feeling like I’m ignoring you or, I don’t know, you just want some time together?”</p><p>“I guess.” He grunted on the other end, though you knew that he was just uncomfortable because of how fragile you sounded right now. “If I have to make a damn schedule, I will! Don’t think I won’t! And I don’t care if he’s your boyfriend or not. He’s still got major attitude problems. Today we were talking about this cute girl in another one of our classes. I said I liked girls with short hair. You know what? He went the complete opposite. Long hair. Then we got into a shouting match about our favorite foods, animals, places to go – and wouldn’t you know it? He and I are completely incompatible. So don’t expect us to be friends!”</p><p>You shook your head with a half-smile. “Yeah, okay. I get it. You can’t stand him. I feel the same way sometimes. You know I’m not going to force you two to like each other. But for the sake of the club, you guys had better not let ME get in the way of kicking ass this year.”</p><p>Yaku scoffed. “I’m not going to <em>let</em> him ruin it. He can play all he wants and show off, how he thinks he’s going to be the next Utsui Takashi, but he won’t get under my skin. Got it?”</p><p>“Totally.”</p><p>It was nice to clear the air. You hadn’t realized how heavy this had been weighing on him – and you. But now that you hashed it out, you could sit down and prioritize like you should have this entire time. You couldn’t neglect any of your other relationships, that wasn’t fair to them.</p><p>The next day, while the warning bell rang, you were surprised to see several girls standing outside the front gates. They perked up when they saw you, but their cheery dispositions soon melted once they craned their necks and didn’t see anyone accompanying you.</p><p>“Hey, where’s that hottie from yesterday?”</p><p>“I told you she hired him,” one of them pushed her friend, cackling. “Or did he lose a bet or something?”</p><p>Sheesh. Talk about predictable. You did your best to block out the gossip. You already knew something like this might happen. Still sucked. You brushed past them and your eyes narrowed once you realized that a couple of them broke off from the main group to approach you.</p><p>One of them kept up with your determined stride. “I think it’s great she found someone with really specific interests, you know? I’m not gonna judge some guy because he’s got a fetish; we all do.”</p><p>Her friend snickered. “Oh yeah? What’s yours?”</p><p>You didn’t dignify them with a response. They really thought this kind of shit was supposed to be supportive?</p><p>As you settled down into your desk, your mind wandered. All those years ago when you were just a chubby little kid with an attitude, Kuroo was more than happy to buy you a shitload of snacks and candy when you were together. It always seemed weird to you , like you were dealing with this nagging feeling that it was all part of some elaborate prank years in the making. Or maybe he really <em>did</em> have some weird fat fetish. What the fuck?! What if all this time he never even really liked you, but just hounded you because of your weight? Better yet, what if he found someone else bigger than you and left?</p><p>Just thinking about it made you feel sick. Guys like that were <em>all</em> creeps. If Kuroo confessed to you that your classmate was right, what would you even do? Would you break up with him? Or stay with him because you felt pressured, given your shared history and the threat of never finding someone else who could look at you and feel genuine attraction?</p><p>You glanced up and realized everyone was staring at you. Mr. Dobashi had his notebook out and peered at you over the crisp pages.</p><p>“I said your name several times for roll call.”</p><p>“Sorry,” you mumbled, warmth spreading across your face. Dick. If he saw you were here, then why didn’t he just mark you and go on his way? Why publicly embarrass you in front of the other students? To make an example or something?</p><p>You spent the rest of the day in a really bad mood. Kuroo and Kenma had texted you during the day, but your answers were vague and clipped. You hoped they didn’t notice. If they did, neither of them brought it up.</p><p>You had just finished cleaning up the classroom, your partner dragging her feet the entire time, when Mr. Dobashi approached you.</p><p>“Do you have a moment?”</p><p>“Uh, yes sir?”</p><p>He peered into you and you felt like he was scrutinizing your very soul. You swore if you looked deep enough, you could see billowing hellfire beyond them. Shit, what had you done now?</p><p>“I wanted to apologize for yesterday. I realize I was a little short with you when you asked me to be the advisor for the club. I did some thinking and I do feel like I would be a good match for all of you.”</p><p>The tension rushed out of you and your knees went to jelly with relief. “Really? Thank you so much! I’ll make sure to let the president know tomorrow.”</p><p>“Of course.” He gave you a lingering look. “Be careful on your way home. I’ve heard there’s a creep harassing girls around here.”</p><p>“Uh…really?” Part of you just laughed. As if you would be the target of some random guy’s misplaced attraction. “Good to know. I didn’t hear about it.”</p><p>“It was on the news this morning. You should take a look so you’re aware of who to look out for.”</p><p>Once you left the classroom, you did as he said. You looked up the local news in an attempt to find an article about whoever this guy was. You’d have to let Aiko know if she didn’t already and had fully prepared to send the story to her.</p><p>The headline was pretty dramatic: <b>BEWARE OF THIS MAN! SEXUAL PREDATOR AT LARGE.</b> You halfway expected there to be some photographs of a shady looking dude in a trench coat and hat, or a run-of-the-mill businessman with a serious lack of morals.</p><p>The image that stared back at you would haunt you for the rest of your life.</p><p>Kuroo hadn’t learned his lesson, so he stubbornly lingered at the school gates even though you told him he probably shouldn’t pick you up any more. He said he didn’t care. Any other day you would have given him a hard time, but today you marched right up to him. You ignored the chattering girls who tried to get him involved in their <em>riveting </em>conversation about how soft his hair looked (okay, so it was), grabbed his hand, and tugged him in the direction of the bus stop.</p><p>“Missed ya too, but a kiss would’ve been better…” His joke didn’t get a reaction from you, much to his chagrin. “Hey, hey…something happen? You okay?”</p><p>“Tetsurou. I am this close to losing my shit. Just. Give me a second."</p><p>You sat down next to him on the bus and tapped your foot impatiently. You needed Kenma here as of ten minutes ago.</p><p>Once he stepped on, you gave him the “I’m dying” look. He tucked his phone away to give you his full attention when he settled on the other side of you.</p><p>“So what’s the deal?” Kuroo asked, done with the secretive silence.</p><p>You couldn’t hold it in any more. Despite the crowded bus and the jerky stops every so often, you needed to get this off your chest. You whipped your own phone out and rapidly typed in your passcode, fingers trembling when you did so. Once you knew you were in, you tapped the browser app so hard you thought it going to crash and tell you to at least buy it a few drinks first.</p><p>They both leaned in to huddle around the screen. Damn it, why was it taking so long? All of you zeroed in on the loading sign until a wall of text flared on the screen.</p><p>You let them read the headline. Once they nodded, your finger dragged down, down, down – to the very thing you’d wanted them to see.</p><p>It was a police sketch of the supposed pervert. Blond, spiky hair, squinted eyes, a set of thin lips drawn taut across a sharp jaw. His slenderness made his head entirely too big. Loving detail was paid to the various piercings that adorned his ears.</p><p>As his beady pupils stared into your souls, Kenma pointed to it. His eyes flickered with mischief. “Kuroo. He could be your twin.”</p><p>You lost it. You erupted into a series of raucous laughter, gigglesnorts and all. You nearly doubled over in the chair. It was so deep and intense that at one point all that came out of you were weak wheezes and short gasps of air. You almost dropped your phone while all your energy went into busting a gut, your hands going weak, hair tossed back and shoulders shaking.</p><p>“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Kuroo deadpanned. “This looks nothing like me!”</p><p>Several people across the bus were already judging you hardcore for your sudden outburst, but then their gazes trained on Kuroo. One of them held the local paper and glanced down at the page he was reading, lifted his eyes up to zero in on Kuroo’s face, then back down again.</p><p>The whispers all said the same thing: <em>was that the pervert?</em></p><p>You got off at the next stop despite your houses still being quite a walk. You couldn’t keep it together. Once you thought you stopped, you just took another peek at that horrifying abomination and started screeching all over again. Kenma had taken a screenshot of it and texted it to himself, his light chuckles a stark contrast to your own boisterous reaction.</p><p>“No way. I don’t see it.” Kuroo blew up the picture and his visible eye twitched. “Is this how you guys see me?”</p><p>“I can’t. I can’t anymore.” Your throat burned and the muscles in your stomach had contracted so much you knew you’d feel it in the morning. “He—he actually took down my description! He brought it to the cops and they—ahaha!”</p><p>“Laugh it up.” Kuroo pocketed your phone since you were too out of it to handle it properly.</p><p>You ambled down the sidewalk, him trying to keep his pace slow so he didn’t outwalk you or Kenma. He came to a sudden stop and you nearly ran into his back, stopping just long enough to see what captured his attention.</p><p>Plastered right on the front window of the restaurant was a flyer featuring Kuroo’s failed doppelganger. Both of their expressions at this point were dead on.</p><p>He grabbed the edge of the paper and tore it down, ignoring the scandalized looks from several passersby. He crumpled it into a ball and tossed it in the nearby trash can. He looked proud of himself for ridding it from the world…until wyou gazed down the street and saw nearly every store, stand and telephone pole with the sketch.</p><p>“I’m taking all of these down. I don’t care how long it takes.” He ripped one down for emphasis, fingers leaving no trace of evidence.</p><p>You would’ve thought he’d find all of this hilarious, but his embarrassment bled through. He shot a lazy smile toward a couple of old women walking past, but one look at his face and they clutched their purses tighter to their chests.</p><p>You fake sighed. “You were right after all. Your face sure does draw a lot of attention, doesn’t it?”</p><p>The closer you got to the neighborhood, the more flyers you found. You passed by the bus stop and nearly tripped when a hulking figure rounded the corner, a staple gun in one hand and a stack of papers in the other.</p><p>“Ah!” He recognized you immediately. “Evening, miss! I see you’ve found the flyers. I thought it would be best to keep the public informed.”</p><p>You had to keep a straight face. You had to. It didn’t help that Kenma was laughing underneath his curtain of hair where the guy couldn’t see it. “Yeah…thanks a bunch. I can see you’ve been working hard.”</p><p>“Just eighty-five to go!” Minoru’s tone was far too cheery considering what he just said. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself to your friends!”</p><p>He exchanged names with Kenma and then turned to Kuroo. You watched the both of them just…study each other. Minoru’s eyes dropped into a squint.</p><p>“Hmm…you look just like this man on the flyer.” He held up a page for emphasis and nodded. “Do you have something to confess to me?”</p><p>Only a handful of times since his growth spurt had you seen Kuroo express any sliver of fear. His face was stony, shoulders tight and drawn back, his full height making him stand nearly eye-to-eye with the overzealous martial artist.</p><p>“No, I don’t.”</p><p>“Of course you don’t!” Minoru let out a hearty chuckle. “This perp clearly has blond hair. And even if you did somehow manage to dye your hair overnight, not knowing I had submitted your information to the police, I don’t see any evidence of piercings. No stretched lobes, either.” He took a step back. “Well, your physique is pretty close…eerily so…”</p><p>You glanced at the flyer. The man on it looked like he would take one step and break his ankle. You covered up your laugh with a hard cough.</p><p>“In any case, you three be careful! I have to get back to dispensing these.”</p><p>“Uh, actually, I was hoping I could help,” Kuroo called out before he left. He had on that closed-eye, killer smile that sent his underclassmen reeling. “I can see you’ve been at it for a while. It’ll give you more time to patrol the area since it’s getting dark.”</p><p>He nodded sharply. “Yes! You’re absolutely right. Are you…sure you don’t mind?”</p><p>“Positive.” Kuroo stretched his hands out and the fat stack was dumped on him.</p><p>Minoru was a little concerned at first. He asked if maybe he needed to split the pile so Kuroo wasn’t weighed down so much. Kuroo reassured him he was fine. He seemed carefree and charming, but as soon as the guy’s back was turned, his face twisted into a sharp grin.</p><p>“Ah, before I forget…um…” Minoru whipped around and thrust a box toward you. “I hope you like it. Well, goodbye!”</p><p>He broke out into a hurried jog, nearly losing his hat in the process. All three of you looked down to see what it was. You lifted the top of the fancily wrapped box and ran your eyes over the still-warm cookies.</p><p>“These are from that new fancy bakery that just opened up.” You remembered the buzz that came with it. Several celebrities had raved about the overpriced goods, but your wallet reassured you that you didn’t need to try them <em>that</em> badly.</p><p>You took one out and sank your teeth into it. You couldn’t contain your hum of appreciation, the sweet flavors mingling on your tongue.</p><p>“Lemme try. I need to make sure he didn’t put anything weird in it.” Kuroo reached down to snatch one and you whipped around, making a beeline for your house.</p><p>“No way. Don’t you have some flyers to put up?”</p><p>He narrowed his eyes at you, even more so when you handed one to Kenma. Kuroo complained the entire rest of the way about how he was starving. You ignored him and made direct eye contact while biting into another cookie.</p><p>You hung out for about an hour before they had to leave. You really wanted them to stay so you could all do homework together, but you knew that Kuroo wouldn’t have left you alone long enough for you to get anything done. He’d been giving you heated looks the entire night.</p><p>Before Kuroo could follow Kenma out the door, you grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, tugging him to the wall and forcing him down to kiss you. He had no complaints, save for a surprised chuckle. His calloused hands drifted down to squeeze your backside before they settled on your hips. You had him pinned against the wall and his knee settled between your legs.</p><p>“I’m waiting for five minutes, then I’m leaving,” Kenma called from outside. You had to make the time count, then.</p><p>You withdrew your lips away from his gently. “I wanted to ask you something. Okay?”</p><p>“I’ll save you the trouble. I do. And I’ll buy the ring tomorrow,” he muttered, that mischievous grin worming its way across his face. “I’ll even take your last name if you want.”</p><p>“Tetsurou.” You cupped his face in your hands, forcing him to really look at you. “Please be serious for a second. This is really embarrassing. I…I’ve been thinking. Are you sure…I mean, that is, like…do you like me for me…or is it my body you’re really into?”</p><p>He didn’t seem to get what you were implying. “Is this a way to tell me you’ve finally found that self-confidence we’ve been searching so hard for? Never thought you’d admit it.”</p><p>“Ugh. No.” You separated from the warmth of his chest and he frowned at the loss of contact between you. “What I’m saying is…is this…a…fetish thing? Because sometimes I just find it way too hard to believe that someone like you would ever…”</p><p>His expression was devoid of any emotion, negative or positive. “Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?”</p><p>“It’s not all of a sudden. It’s always in the back of my mind. You can’t blame me, you know. Everywhere I go, everything I see, I’m reminded that the way I look is totally gross. You can’t help but internalize that kind of shit. It sucks. As much as I want to tell myself that…it’s not my weight you’re obsessed with…it’s still hard to shake off.”</p><p>Kuroo sighed and ran a hand through his locks, fingers tangled at the roots. He looked weary. “I don’t even know what to say. I don’t wanna piss you off.”</p><p>“So…it is, then?” You couldn’t stop the look of hurt from coming on.</p><p>“Uh, no. What I want to say is, you’re acting really dumb.” He hooked your chin and forced you to look up at him so you could see the sincerity on full display. “Weight or not, it’s kinda shitty for any guy to say they’re only dating someone because of their body. It might be true for them, but it’s not for me. I’ve been into you since we were kids. I’ve always thought you were cute as hell and it’s why I wanted to hang around you so much. I’ve crushed on other girls but not just ‘cuz of what they look like. It’s the same when it comes to you.”</p><p>You still weren’t entirely convinced. “You always wanted to like…give me food, though, and you looked so happy when I was stuffing my face…”</p><p>“I’m happy ‘cuz you’re happy. It’s not weird. You like to eat and all of our best memories have to do with us sharing a meal together. You’ve said it before, how food is a way to bring people together. It’s not like I get off on you doing it.”</p><p>“Well, good.” That was a load off your shoulders. “Because I’ve seen pictures of me mid-bite and it’s not pretty.”</p><p>“Nah, but it <em>is</em> hilarious.” He chuckled. “Anything else you wanna get off your chest? Might as well let Kenma sweat it out a little longer. The fresh air is good for him.”</p><p>“Um…” You did have one lingering question. “So…you do like my body though…right?”</p><p>He pulled you into a soft, albeit brief, kiss. “Ask the box of tissues by my bed. The stories they’d tell.”</p><p>“Tetsurou, I swear…” You laughed despite the faux anger in your voice.</p><p>You took the opportunity to beckon him down again, making sure to express how grateful you were for his honesty. You’d made out on countless occasions, but it never got any less intense. Just the warmth and plushness of his lips was enough to send a pleasant shudder down your spine.</p><p>You were still coming around to the sensation of his tongue in your mouth. You took the initiative this time, much to his surprise. You became engrossed with the way he licked at the roof of your mouth, the sweetness of his saliva no longer as foreign to you. Your teeth nearly clicked together once it became more open-mouthed and messy, a desperate groan brewing in his throat.</p><p>Just as sudden as you started, you broke it off. You withdrew your hands from resting on his pectorals and used them to instead fix his disheveled uniform. His lips were swollen from your kiss. His entire face was flushed and that love drunk expression was on full display.</p><p>You could tell he expected you to drag him off to your room so you could continue in private, but instead, you simply smoothed down your skirt put some distance between you.</p><p>“Wait, you’re gonna make me leave? After that?” he asked weakly.</p><p>“Yup.” You took his hand and placed a feather light kiss on his knuckles before heading out of the living room, knowing he would lock up once he left. “Next time think twice before shoving your hands down my shirt, perv.”</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>yes, i did fuck with a dress-up game to get a better visual of the <a href="https://i.ibb.co/Pjdhbfn/uniform.png">school uniform</a>.</p><p>as always, i wanna thank everyone who has commented or dropped a kudos. idk how to express how happy i am that this fic is being so well-received, i appreciate each and every one of you. &lt;3</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Learning Curve</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Your relationships are growing and changing, but that's okay.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i finished this chapter last night...i officially have none pre-written...oh god...the pressure....</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“This place is way more crowded than I thought it’d be. I didn’t realize how many people were into high school volleyball, of all things.”</p><p>The practice tournament for Tokyo high schools was in full swing. You really hadn’t expected the stands to be filled with fans, parents and students alike. Despite the harsh lights of the gymnasium raining down on the court, none of the athletes looked remotely winded. Their uniforms were a blur of colors that streamed across the room during their hard sprints. It was loud; between the harsh whistles for every point scored, the earth-shaking applause and cheers, and the booming shouts of encouragement between team members, it was hard to keep up.</p><p>“This is <em>so cool…</em>” Aiko gasped, playing with the ribbon on her uniform. Her eyes sparkled, bright and alight with energy. “I’ve never been to a game like this before! These guys are all so tall and muscular. I think my heart just stopped. Do I look okay? Is my hair alright?”</p><p>“You look perfect as always.” You should’ve known she would hook her arm around yours and tug you in the direction of the bleachers. “Tetsurou said he saved us a couple of seats.”</p><p>Kuroo didn’t outright say that he wanted you to come to this tournament, but you knew it meant the world to him. He had convinced his upperclassmen to let him on the court. It wasn’t much of a shock to you, and you didn’t really see this kind of atmosphere as your idea of a good time, but you weren't about to ignore an event like this and disappoint him.</p><p>You scanned the crowd in their seats, a little bashful at doing so. It was like trying to find a seat in an already pitch black movie theatre. You stood there, knowing full well that everyone seated was irritated you were in the way of the show. The distinguishing features on their faces melted away as you tried to ignore the individuals in favor of tracking down the empty spots.</p><p>“There it is!” Aiko yanked you over in the opposite direction you’d been looking. You nearly busted your face in the process. “Aw, he wrote your name on a couple of cards! He is so cute. You’re so lucky.”</p><p>You gazed at your name written with his sloppy penmanship and couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across your face.</p><p>“We got here just in time, warmups are finishing up!”</p><p>“Who are they playing against?” You peered across the way to see if you could recognize the uniforms.</p><p>“Fukurodani,” the guy next to you murmured. You almost jumped when you realized he was there. For some reason you didn’t notice him right away. “They’re rival schools.”</p><p>“Really?” You hadn’t heard much about that. “That’s the academy here in Tokyo, right? I think I remember reading a story about how their basketball captain that graduated from there a few years ago was recently drafted overseas into the NBA.”</p><p>“That’s the one.” He tilted his head at you, placid expression a welcome distraction from the tension around you. “Your uniform…you go to Hanagasaku. The school with all of the flowers outside.”</p><p>“Yeah, we both do.” You nodded in Aiko’s direction. She was so engrossed in the game and sights all around that she didn’t even seem to notice you were conversing with someone besides her. “I’m a first year. What about you?”</p><p>He paused. “I’ll go to high school next year.”</p><p>“Ah! Okay. Any idea where?”</p><p>“Hopefully Fukurodani.” He gazed down at their bright blue uniforms, brows knitting together. “It’s my father’s alma mater.”</p><p>“Oh! That’s why I’m going to Hanagasaku. My grandma was the one who wanted me to apply. In any case, I hope you get in. I’ve heard it’s a really good school.”</p><p>“Thanks.” He shot you a soft smile; his subdued personality reminded you a lot of Kenma. You wondered if the two of them would get along. “Oh, looks like the game is starting.”</p><p>Sure enough, all of the players had bowed in gratitude for  the opportunity to play. You leaned forward, mindful of your skirt, trying to catch sight of the familiar flash of jet black hair. It was his most distinguishing feature outside of his smug smirk. He was playing as a middle blocker because of his massive height, a position that he actually enjoyed. You knew he got some sort of sick satisfaction from pissing spikers off when he successfully thwarted their moves.</p><p>As soon as you spotted him, you realized that it sent a furious rush of blood to your face. Ugh. It wasn’t <em>fair</em>. He was your goofy friend years ago, someone who you loved bantering with and teasing. Now he was someone entirely different. Brimming with self-confidence, his hands nestled on his hips, the uniform clinging to every single curve of his musculature. His eyes were focused on the ball once the opposing team served, him already stalking the net like a cat and its prey.</p><p>Kuroo was doing a great job, which you expected. He had been playing volleyball since you were kids. Competition like this had his blood thrumming with excitement. He was fluid in motion, weaving between players, fully intent on making sure no one managed to score a point on his watch.</p><p>Yaku was down there, too. He was on the bench for now. He and the other libero traded spots pretty often from what you’d heard. You could only see his back since he was facing away from you, but the tension in his body language was palpable. He was ready to jump in.</p><p>The opposing team served again and they sent a powerful hit to Kuroo’s side. You heard him shout something out to the players near the back and all of them stilled. He must have told them not to bother going after it, because the ball hit the ground outside of bounds.</p><p>“Wow, Kuroo is doing super well!” Aiko exclaimed, nearly bouncing in her seat. “He’s pretty bold for an underclassman, shouting out stuff like that. Seems more like what a captain would do, doesn’t it?”</p><p>You nodded. Kuroo was no stranger to being a leader. Hell, he’d acted like one ever since Kenma came into his life. Then he dragged you into the mix. He was so self-assured, so it made sense that would translate to the court, too.</p><p>The whistle blew as the other team called for a time out. Kuroo rushed over to the sidelines so he could guzzle some water. He really had no business looking like that – hair mussed, his uniform sticking to his skin, sweat rolling down his brow so he had to wipe it off with a towel. You swallowed audibly and felt embarrassed at yourself for ogling him so hard.</p><p>“Whoa, look at that guy.” Aiko nudged you in the ribs. “What the heck kind of hairstyle is that? He looks like an owl!”</p><p>You knew who she was referring to. Who was he? He was huge. Not just height-wise, but his broad chest, back and powerful limbs looked like they could just knock someone’s head clean off. His eyebrows, though…a high arch that dropped down to a pair of golden eyes, a feral grin already spreading across his face.</p><p>You didn’t think much of it, still focusing on Kuroo, but you would soon learn that player would make sure everyone’s eyes were on him.</p><p>He darted forward toward the net and leapt into the air to spike down the setter’s toss. You didn’t think he’d have a chance against Kuroo. You were sorely mistaken. With enough power packed into that hard hit, the ball slammed down against Kuroo’s outstretched hands and tore through them like paper. The ball hurdled toward the ground and hit the floor before anyone could even process what happened.</p><p>The player howled with laughter and tossed his head back. You couldn’t hear what he was saying, but several of his teammates recoiled from his outburst.</p><p>“Loud,” the guy next to you muttered.</p><p>“He’s definitely…uh, energetic.” You were trying to be nice. That guy was way too hype right now.</p><p>You spotted Kuroo looking down at his hands. Someone approached him with a roll of bandages, but he refused. He stared across the court at the other team. You could tell his aura of nonchalance had thinned and now he was going to give his all.</p><p>This wasn’t Kuroo’s first game, but it was the only one you could slip out to see before the day was over with. You’d been keeping tabs on Nekoma’s scores the entire day at class. You knew he was going to sweep the first few schools no problem since he’d shown you the matchups the night before and several of their opponents were well-known for being out of practice.</p><p>The winner of this match would be going on to the finals, which was why you were so adamant in coming. You wanted to be here for Kuroo and Yaku. Kenma couldn’t make it since he had a last minute school project to work on, but you were eagerly giving him live updates when you could tear your eyes away.</p><p>Damn. The score was 21-25 with Fukurodani taking the set. You had to admit, there was a reason they were considered a powerhouse school. Especially with that guy with the mean spikes. He was going to be a problem if they honed his skills. Right now he was just a lot of raw power without much technique.</p><p>The second set started up. You were a little more apprehensive this time around. Kuroo and Yaku had been working their asses off to get this far. You weren’t sure who that spiker was, but you actively rooted against him. He had enough support in the stands. You weren’t even one to raise your voice, but you still managed to cup your hands over your mouth and shout once Kuroo smacked down another would-be point.</p><p>Aiko was enraptured. This was the quietest you'd ever seen her. Not that you were complaining. It gave you a chance to concentrate on the game.</p><p>You followed the players as best you could. Shot after shot was made. Every point by the other team was matched by yours. It was nervewracking. You could tell that players on both sides were starting to feel the wear of the day’s earlier matches. They hunched over, hands clasped on their knees, trying to brush away the constant drip of sweat so it didn’t impair their vision.</p><p>It was down to the final points and everyone knew they had to make it count. Kuroo was back to blocking the gray-haired giant that had gotten several points on him earlier. You could only imagine the competitive looks exchanged between them.</p><p>It all happened in slow motion. Your team served. It soared over the net and was just milliseconds from touching the ground as the opposing libero sent it back into the air. Fukurodani passed it in rapid succession to the setter near the front. He tossed it over straight into the willing hands of the hulking monster nearly salivating at the opportunity.</p><p>Kuroo and the other blockers jumped as high as they could, only to watch their hopes for the finals dashed by the finger-breaking spike that rounded their outstretched arms. The ball soared at an angle, towards a spot completely unguarded, and barely touched within bounds.</p><p>“HEY HEY HEY!” The spiker boomed, tossing his head back in a triumphant laugh. His classmates and teammates all cheered his name while the final whistle blew, signaling the end to Nekoma’s winning streak.</p><p>“Oh, shoot,” Aiko began glumly. “I really thought they had it this time.”</p><p>The guy next to you stood up and glanced down at you, face neutral. “It was nice watching the game with you.”</p><p>He was surprisingly easy to talk to and you appreciated his bluntness. “Yeah, same here. Good luck with your entrance exams.”</p><p>“Thank you.” He headed out the door as the people around you got up from their own seats.</p><p>You and Aiko decided to meet Kuroo down at the court just to check in on him. You also needed to cheer Yaku up. You didn’t even have a chance to start down the stairs on your own before Aiko reached down and took your hand, tugging you up to your full height so she could lead the way.</p><p>It was crowded and you didn’t like the way you barreled through everyone. Aiko was off in her own little world as usual, but you were getting hyperaware of how rude the two of you were being. You tried to shake her off, and the action caused you to draw your elbow far back enough that it hit into a wall of solid muscle.</p><p>“Oof!”</p><p>You and Aiko immediately got separated once you stopped walking, the people around you not bothered in the slightest that they’d come between you. You heard her shout your name, but it was soon drowned out by the noisy chatter around you.</p><p>You felt sick that you’d hurt someone, and you were fully prepared to take the verbal abuse. To your surprise, the guy standing before you was unfazed by the hit after all.</p><p>“Minoru?” You were surprised to see him here. It’d been weeks since you crossed paths since his patrol shift changed. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to. Are you okay?”</p><p>He chuckled and reached down to rest his hand against the spot you’d hit him. It should’ve been tender, but he looked largely unaffected. “That was a great hit! Are you sure you don’t want to try martial arts? My sister is always looking for people to join the kendo club!”</p><p>You realized who he was talking about. “Your sister…she’s the captain, right?”</p><p>“That’s her!” He beamed. “We’re actually twins. You guys go to the same school, it was how I recognized your uniform that day we met. She told me you joined the newspaper club after all. That’s too bad! She’s always looking for new members.”</p><p>“Um, well…sports and stuff isn’t really my thing.” You were relieved that he was okay, but you really needed to get to your boyfriend. “I’m sorry, I’m kind of in a rush to meet someone. You’re sure you’re alright?”</p><p>“Just fine, trust me.” He didn’t look like he was lying. “I won’t keep you. You came here to watch Kuroo play, is that right?”</p><p>You nodded. “Yeah. He just lost, so I think he might be kinda bummed.”</p><p>“Please let him know I said he was great!” He gave you a thumbs up. “I’m sure he’ll improve. I watched the end of it.”</p><p>You wanted to ask him why he was even here, but you really didn’t want to wait any longer. “Thanks. I’ll tell him. See you later!”</p><p>You made a beeline for the team, who had moved to the benches near the court to cool down. It looked like Coach Nekomata already gave them his end-of-game talk.</p><p>You came upon Aiko and Kuroo already conversing with each other. She was drilling him about the game judging by her enthusiastic gestures. He wasn't nearly as enthused.</p><p>“Hey, Kuroo! Is that the girlfriend you’ve been gushing about? She’s cute!” One of the upperclassmen approached him, swinging an arm around his shoulder and grinning down at Aiko. “He’s one lucky guy. You came all this way to watch him play?”</p><p>“Yeah, I did, but he’s not <em>my</em> boyfriend,” Aiko stammered. “He’s…oh!” She caught you out of the corner of her eye and waved. “He’s <em>hers</em>!”</p><p>You swallowed hard and felt the mood shift as the flirtatious conversation died down instantly. You walked ahead and did your best not to make eye contact with any of them. You could already sense the confusion and mild amusement with your appearance.</p><p>“Uh…” You bit down on your lower lip. Kuroo might’ve been happier to see you in better circumstances. Right now he looked thoroughly beat and couldn’t even spare you a smile. You weren't sure what to say to break the ice, but thankfully Yaku stepped in.</p><p>“Glad you came.” Yaku approached you and made sure you maintained eye contact with him. His steady gaze distracted you from the awkwardness. “You guys must’ve just gotten out of class.”</p><p>“We did.” Your throat felt dry and your stomach twisted. “We got here as fast as we could.”</p><p>With you and Yaku engaged in conversation, the others turned their attention back to the girl they really wanted to talk to.</p><p>“You go to that all-girls school, right? Man, that’s rough. I bet you’re tired of not having guys like us to go out with. We should go out on a group date or something! If the girls there are half as cute as you, all of us would be set!”</p><p>You watched them fawn all over her and was surprised at how much it hurt your feelings. You were used to being glossed over by guys, not being considered even as an afterthought. After all this time you would think it got easier to deal with rejection. You stepped backwards and Yaku tugged you in the opposite direction.</p><p>“Kuroo! Are you done feeling sorry for yourself or are you coming?” He barked over his shoulder, eyes narrowed into slits.</p><p>In response, Kuroo put his water bottle down and trailed after you.</p><p>Once all three of you were alone, Yaku whirled around on him. “Hey, idiot. Do you have any idea how messed up that was?”</p><p>You were shocked at his outburst, Kuroo even more so. “What?” he asked weakly.</p><p>“You let her just sink out there! She was embarrassed and you didn’t say or do anything to defend her.”</p><p>Yaku was always the type to go on a full-on rampage when he was upset, and this was no exception. He and Kuroo still weren’t on the best of terms and had begrudgingly learned to play on the same team without going at each other’s throats.</p><p>You shook your head and rubbed your arm. “Yakkun, it’s fine. Everyone is just really stressed out because of the game, right? So I don’t blame him for being distracted.”</p><p>“Well I do. What kind of boyfriend does that? What exactly do you see in this guy?”</p><p>You deflated. You didn’t like the way this conversation was going. Kuroo hadn’t said anything. His expression this entire time was blank. “Just drop it, okay? I’m used to it. It’s not like they outright made fun of me. It was just weird, it’s weird, I get it. Everyone is surprised when they find out we’re dating, you’d expect someone like Tetsurou to be with someone like Aiko.”</p><p>“Do you hear yourself?” Yaku pointed at you. “Do you let her talk down to herself like this all the time? When she says stuff like this, it’s your responsibility to make sure she knows it’s just self-sabotage. The more you let her get away with this, the more she believes it.”</p><p>You swallowed hard. “Please stop attacking him, okay? You’re the one making a big deal out of it.”</p><p>“I’m not attacking anyone. I’m telling him to accept that this is the kind of thing he can expect if he dates you. Not because it’s right, but because other people are stupid. If you can’t bother sticking up for her, then why bother asking her out at all? She asked me to trust you because she likes you so much, but from what I’ve seen, it doesn’t look like you deserve her.”</p><p>You weren’t sure where this vitriol was coming from. You were so exhausted by the entire thing you didn’t even have the strength to go off on him properly. “Yakkun. I know you worry about me, and you want what’s best for me, but this isn’t right. It’s not like Tetsurou joined in with them or anything. And he’s distracted.”</p><p>“Nah. He’s right.” Kuroo finally got a word in. It wasn’t what you expected at all. “I clammed up because I was pissed about the game, but that’s not an excuse. I should’ve said something and stuck up for you.”</p><p>“So you’re not entirely brain dead.” Yaku glared at him with sheer ferocity. “I already told you, Kuroo. I’ve known her longer than you and I know when she’s hurting. If you’re going to say you’ll be there for her, then you better do it. Or else you’ll get more from me than just a friendly chat. Got it?”</p><p>You flushed in embarrassment. Yaku had always been protective of you growing up, but this was on an entirely different level. A small part of you was relieved that he was in your corner and didn’t hesitate to set things right. Even if he was a little…overbearing about it.</p><p>Kuroo reached up and ran a hand through his sweat-slicked hair, his eyes finally sharpening into focus. “Yeah, I gotcha. Hey, anyone ever tell you that you look kind of like a demon when you’re pissed?”</p><p>“Good to know you’re not only stupid, you’re also not funny.” Yaku turned toward you with his arms crossed. “Are you absolutely positive <em>this</em> is the guy you want to be with?”</p><p>“Yes. I am.” You placed your hand on his shoulder and squeezed the ball of it with as much affection as you could muster. “He’s really kind. He treats me well. I love him a lot. Okay?”</p><p>He sighed wearily. “You hear that? She loves you. For whatever reason. If you mess this up, I guarantee that I’ll make sure she doesn’t give you another chance.”</p><p>Kuroo smirked at him, amused by the authority to his voice. “Are you sure you’re not into her? Because you’re kind of milking this protective brother thing.”</p><p>Yaku looked him dead in his eyes. “No. Don’t waste time deflecting. I have some choice words for the rest of them.”</p><p>You and Kuroo watched in bewilderment as Yaku approached the rest of the team. You weren’t sure what was said, but nearly all of them looked ashamed of themselves. He wasn’t afraid to get violent when the situation warranted it, and it seemed like this was no exception. Some of the upperclassmen, who hadn’t even been around for the exchange in the first place, surveyed him in amusement.</p><p>Wanting to change the subject, you turned to face Kuroo. “You kicked ass out there. I was rooting for you. I saw how many points you blocked and they would’ve been completely spanked if you hadn’t stepped in.”</p><p>Without any teasing to preface your mountain of compliments, Kuroo was a little more flustered than usual. “It was a good game,” he admitted. “Even if it did piss me off.”</p><p>“It was.” You made sure to hold eye contact with him so he could see how genuine you were. “I’ll wait for you to get changed.”</p><p>As Kuroo broke off from the rest of the group, Aiko made her way back to you. You were a little surprised to see that she wasn’t going off on a tangent about having so much attention from a group of athletes. In fact, she seemed like she could care less about their flirtatious conversation.</p><p>“I want to play volleyball,” she announced, a bright smile on her face. “It’s sooo cool. I want to try it out!”</p><p>“We don’t have a team at our school…”</p><p>“I know.” She didn’t look deterred despite your words. “But that’s okay! Maybe I can find a team in the neighborhood! Or maybe we can make one!”</p><p>“Uh, ‘we’?”</p><p>“Sorry, I know you won’t be interested, unless…oh! What about a manager?”</p><p>You shook your head and was admittedly tickled by her enthusiasm. “I don’t think so.”</p><p>“Awww, you’re no fun!”</p><p>Kuroo emerged from the locker room and it looked like he had taken a quick shower. As if your raging hormones needed another reason to thirst over him like this. His hair was damp and the beads of sweat had been replaced by cool droplets of water. Even though he’d just been playing for hours, he swaggered up to you as if he just got up from a lazy afternoon nap. He had changed into a t-shirt and shorts, probably just so you could ogle the defined curves of his calves when they flexed with every step toward you.</p><p>“I think Yaku just gave some of those guys stomachaches from the way he ripped into them.” Kuroo chuckled and slung his gym bag over his shoulder, the full weight settling along his hip. “I kind of misjudged him. All this time I thought he was a bratty little snob with a mean streak, but I can see he’s that <em>and</em> a kickass friend.”</p><p>You could already hear the call for Fukurodani to prepare for their next game. You didn’t want Kuroo mulling over his loss too much, so you started the walk toward the exit. The crowds had thinned out enough so you weren’t going against the current, so to speak. The air conditioning was getting too cold for comfort and you were tired of the sharp scent of salonpas. </p><p>You trailed past the bleachers and through the doors leading out to the main entryway. Several students and teams were stationed outside, no doubt discussing their matches and losses. The swell of garbled conversations faded once you burst through the main doors, a wave of fresh air washing all over the three of you.</p><p>“You mind if I steal her now?” Kuroo grinned. “I mean, you get to hang out with her the entire week, so it’s only fair.”</p><p>Aiko rested a fist on either hip. “I guess! Maybe it’ll clear her head. I look into her eyes and half the time I just <em>know</em> she’s daydreaming about you.”</p><p>“You’re not getting copies of my notes anymore.” You narrowed your eyes at her, relishing the way her face paled. “And that’s that on that.”</p><p>“No fair!”</p><p>Kuroo snatched your hand before she could protest any more, nearly yanking you down the street. “Don’t worry,” he called over his shoulder, mischief in his eyes. “I’ll change her mind.”</p><p>“Thank you!”</p><p>You smirked as Kuroo led you away from the gymnasium. In a place bustling with activity, there was no way anyone would pay you any mind. The calloused pads of his fingers were a stark reminder of how many grueling hours he’d spent in practice. Yours were baby soft in comparison, a fact that Yaku spouted without knowing it’d make you feel self-conscious.</p><p>“Where are we going?” You were genuinely curious if he had somewhere in mind.</p><p>“I’m starving. Let’s grab something to eat. Then I wanted to stop by the library and pick up that book I was telling you about. You know the one.”</p><p>“You mean that one book written by that one person about that one thing?”</p><p>“That’s the one. See? We’re practically a married couple with the way you read my mind.”</p><p>You stopped by a place in the shopping district not too far from the gymnasium. Kuroo was itching for something savory to replenish all the calories he’d just burned, and you heard good things about the dango. He wolfed down at least three pork buns in succession, even before you’d managed to bring the skewer to your lips.</p><p>His mouth still full, he nearly sputtered out chunks all over the counter. “Hey, there’s that weird drink you like.”</p><p>“It’s called bubble tea and it’s delicious.” You peered at the hanging menu and felt your mouth water. So many different flavors! You knew some people didn’t prefer the texture of the tapioca, but it didn’t taste bad. In fact it usually complimented either the tanginess of the drink itself. “You want one?”</p><p>“Nah.”</p><p>You rolled your eyes. You knew that as soon as you left the stand, he would be snatching it from your hands to sip at it. The cashier waited with a flat expression, clearly enjoying the minimum wage that fulfilled her every dream.</p><p>It was nice, though. A day like the one where you first met. It was a little jarring, to be honest. All those years ago you never thought you'd be under the same cloudless sky, fingers entwined, arms so close his residual body heat exchanged with yours. You were older but he still had that same smug smirk he always did. Puberty hit him like mack truck and he was still the very same Kuroo you’d befriended after he bloodied your nose with a volleyball.</p><p>Just as you predicted, the drink disappeared from your hand and you found the thick purple straw firmly embedded between those two (disgustingly hot) lips. The edges of them quirked up once he realized you’d been staring.</p><p>“If you wanted a kiss, you could’ve just asked—”</p><p>You took a ravenous bite from the dango he traded for the drink and he only laughed in response.</p><p>You tossed the empty cup into the trashcan before you headed inside the library.</p><p>It was a welcome change from the thunderous roar of the gym just an hour beforehand. Several students were already waiting at the check out line with stacks of reference books they needed for upcoming projects or papers. The clerk waited patiently as she scanned each one, a hint of a smile on her painted lips while she mused over their anxious expressions.</p><p>Your shuffling feet echoed against the linoleum floors near the entrance. The room was spacious and nearly empty, save for a few posters on the walls with upcoming book club meetings or special events for kids. A low thrum of whispers from the second floor floated down and made you pause, only because you hadn’t seen the couple leaning against the railing with their hands wrapped around a pair of handheld consoles.</p><p>You trailed after Kuroo, only because he made a beeline for the display case with several copies ready to be snatched up. It was some kind of sci-fi novel series that he’d consumed over the last break. The complexity of the terminology flew right over your head, but he seemed into it, so you decided to borrow one, too.</p><p>“Hey,” Kuroo stopped one of the nearby aides filing books from her disorganized cart. “Any empty study rooms right now?”</p><p>She checked her phone and nodded. “Up the stairs, third door on the right. I’ll reserve it for you right now.”</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>You glanced down at your feet, careful not to miss any steps while you made your way to the room. Only because the design of this library was meant to be “chic” and “modern” or whatever the hell that meant. So instead of good ol’ fashioned steps connected together in succession, there was a thin railing holding together floating stairs. Why oh why did anyone think this was functional? You glared at the space between each one and could picture your foot slipping into it and causing a huge accident.</p><p>The room was straightforward. A chipped wooden table and a couple of beanbags. Just what every teenager from the 90’s could ever want. The renovation money must not have reached these rooms just yet. You did your best to settle down into it, whereas Kuroo just threw himself down and slowly sank in like an animal being sucked into a tar pit.</p><p>“You got that look on your face like you’re thinkin’ too hard.” Kuroo reached over and pushed the back of the book so it flipped over onto your chest.</p><p>“Yeah. Aiko was surprisingly into the game. I’ve never seen her so passionate about anything before. She mostly just does whatever I want to do.”</p><p>Kuroo nodded. He was more than aware of how she just kind of popped into your life and refused to leave. He was the same way with Kenma. “So what are you gonna do about it?”</p><p>You shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe I can try to find a team for her to join. Our school doesn’t have one and we’d need quite a few people interested before they’d consider it. I don’t really feel like going door to door with a sign-up sheet.”</p><p>“I’m sure you and your big sexy brain will come up with something.” He grinned at you over the top of his book. “Hey, let’s reenact that one manga you used to carry with you all the time. You can sit on my lap and we’ll read together.”</p><p>“Are you kidding?” You legit couldn’t tell if he was. “No way. I’m not paying for a busted bean bag. I don’t even think they make these things anymore.”</p><p>Kuroo tossed the book to the side and you watched in mild amusement while he crawled his way over to you. He settled in-between your legs, hands resting on your thighs, leaning forward with that same smug smile. “A guy can get his feelings hurt with how much you turn him down.”</p><p>“That’s because like ninety-nine percent of the time you’re just teasing me.” You weren't going to comment on how his skin was scorching as it melded with yours. He didn’t seem perturbed at all that your skirt rode up, his fingers brushing against the hem of it.</p><p>“Only fair considering how you always leave me high and dry.”</p><p>You could see that he was sincere. It was true. You did like teasing him only because getting the upper hand on him was more difficult than ever. He was used to your tricks and knew just what to do or say to fluster you.</p><p>“Feels like I’m always chasing you, you know. Not that I mind. I always like to rub it in your face when I catch you and win.” Kuroo peered at you through half-lidded eyes, the desire clearly written in them.</p><p>You reached forward and wrapped your hand around the collar of his shirt, bunching it up between your fingers. “I like the chase too, Tetsurou, but I never want to go too far and make you uncomfortable. Especially since we’re new at this stuff. You’re my first boyfriend.”</p><p>“Hopefully last.” He didn’t leave any room for arguments, because he finally leaned down to plant a warm kiss on your mouth.</p><p>You lips parted immediately. You didn’t waste any time letting him in. French kissing still wasn’t something one hundred percent pleasant, only because it was a lot of different sensations to tackle at once. But the sweetness of your snacks from earlier lingered in his mouth, so you gently sucked down on his tongue while he groaned in your mouth.</p><p>Kuroo lowered himself on top of you and the beanbag protested under the added weight. Both of you inched closer to the ground. His hips settled between your thighs and you hooked your knees around his hips, driving him forward, his arms caging you in until they rested on either side of your head. You arched your back and your breath hitched when he ground down into you. He drew his lips back and planted a warm kiss along your neck, murmuring your name into the flushed skin.</p><p>“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” His voice was soft. “I’m not trying to rush. I just like being near you, all the time. That so bad?”</p><p>You shook your head, knowing he was too preoccupied with sucking dark marks into your neck to really pay attention.</p><p>“No. I feel the same way.” You were embarrassed to admit it. “I like teasing you, but I am sorry if I took it too far the other day. I’m not trying to get you all hot and bothered just to torture you.”</p><p>“If it really bugged me, I would’ve told you. I’m not some creep who’s gonna use it against you. Just try not to…” He ran his tongue along the shell of your ear for emphasis, warm breath causing a shudder to wrack down your spine. “Ruin any more of my pants. Deal?”</p><p>You giggled and the sound of it sent his lips quirking into a smile. “Only if you promise to replace any panties that I have to put out of commission.”</p><p>“I can do that, IF you let me dispose of them.”</p><p>“Perv.”</p><p>He didn’t let up after a while and you really didn’t mind. You were a little apprehensive about how long you could do this before it got to be too much, but you really underestimated his self-control. He was fine with a heavy makeout session and some light groping. It wasn’t like you were discouraging him. You couldn’t deny how nice the weight of his hands felt against the curve of your hips, the roundness of your stomach and the swell of your breasts.</p><p>Kuroo pulled back so your lips brushed against each other and gazed at you. You weren’t sure what kind of emotions laid behind those dark eyes, but you could see your own disheveled appearance reflected in them. You looked desperate and dazed, resting your hands on his broad shoulders, circling your thumbs along his exposed skin.</p><p>A sharp knock on the door jolted both of you out of your impromptu staring contest. Kuroo lifted himself off you and you shakily tried to sit up, tugging your skirt down. He got onto his knees and peered over at the handle, which jiggled up and down.</p><p>“I’ve been waiting for five minutes! Wrap it up or I’m calling the librarian, you freaks!”</p><p>“No way he heard anything. Right?” You scrambled over to your bag and hastily shoved back everything you’d taken out of it, shame already sending warmth to your cheeks.</p><p>“If he did, he’s probably just jealous,” Kuroo chuckled.</p><p>“I heard that! That’s it, I’m telling someone!”</p><p>You burst out of the room and nearly barreled him over, Kuroo keeping a firm grip on your hand. You couldn’t contain your laughter and nearly lost it on your way out. You were going to ask Kuroo if he wanted to check out the book he’d been wanting for so long, but he was quick to toss it in the bin to be put back on the shelves.</p><p>“I already bought a copy,” he told you over his shoulder, chuckling. “I just wanted an excuse to get you alone.”</p><p>“Ugh! Tetsurou!”</p><p>The two of you found yourselves outside of your house after a few more random stops along the way. You knew that he had to be tired lugging around his gym bag the entire time you'd been out. Neither of you had been alone in your place since you started dating. Kenma was always around. You hesitated, wondering if you should invite him in. Kuroo already made his decision and stuck the copy of his key into the lock, letting himself in and holding the door for you.</p><p>“Hey, who invited you?” you joked, trailing after him towards the kitchen. He opened the fridge and raided through it, taking out some leftovers you’d shoved in there from last night.</p><p>“I don’t need an invitation. I’m the man of the house.”</p><p>“Really? Says who?”</p><p>He thumbed over at the memorial of your grandma that settled on the mantlepiece. “Says her. Remember? After I killed that cockroach in the bathroom while you were trapped in the shower screaming. She called me up because she was too scared to do it herself.”</p><p>You snickered. Okay, so <em>maybe</em> you did find him pretty brave that day.</p><p>The hours passed by as you watched a sitcom so cheesy the two of you just spent the entire time roasting it. You were huddled together on the couch, no real space between you, him eventually ending up sprawled over your lap. He refused to move even when you told him you had to pee. His response was that it was your fault for having pillows for thighs.</p><p>You glanced at the clock. You didn’t have school tomorrow, but it was getting late. Kuroo had practice in the morning and you knew that if he didn’t leave now, he wouldn’t get enough rest. You tried to find the right words so he didn’t feel like you were kicking him out.</p><p>“Hey…” He murmured from down below. From his angle you knew all he could see was double chin, but he didn’t seem to care. “You mind if I stay the night?”</p><p>You almost did a double take. He was deadass serious. “Uh…I mean…like…”</p><p>“The look on your face.” He laughed. “I don’t mean like <em>that</em>. I just don’t wanna go home. If you’re not cool with it, I’ll leave. Or I’ll just stay out here in the living room on the couch. It’s up to you.”</p><p>It wasn’t that you didn’t want to, but you were shocked that he’d even suggested it. You’d had sleepovers in the past, sure. And if Kuroo was telling the truth, he’d harbored feelings for you for a really long time. So even when you were just friends he didn’t “lose control” or anything like that since you were in the same room. You weren't nervous so much as you were thrown for a loop.</p><p>“Yeah. I mean…I don’t mind.” You were embarrassed to admit the thrill that rushed through you once you uttered those words. “But…what are you going to tell your family? I don’t think they’ll be happy knowing you’re alone with me.”</p><p>He shrugged. “I’ll just tell them I’m at Kenma’s.”</p><p>You chuckled at his quick response. If you didn’t know any better, you would’ve thought that he had been concocting this plan for a while. “And you think he’s gonna be okay with covering for us?” Not that Kenma ever disapproved of how close the two of you were.</p><p>“Nah. He’s cool like that.” He sent off a rapid chain of texts. One to the group chat where he let Kenma know that he was using him as an excuse. Another to his family to explain that he was just going to stay out.</p><p>You held your breath waiting for the responses.</p><p>“We’re good to go.” He tossed his phone up and down. “You’re sleepy. I can tell.”</p><p>“Says you.” You rubbed your eyes. “You started snoring in the middle of the good part.”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah.” He stood up from the couch and stretched his arms over his head, rolling his neck around with a lopsided smile. “Let’s get ready for bed, then.”</p><p>He left the room and you fumbled with the remote to turn the TV off. You would actually have to put on some decent sleepwear tonight, then. Not just an oversized shirt and underwear. You stepped inside your room and found he already dug through your drawers for some of his old clothes he could use.</p><p>“I’m gonna get changed. I’ll knock before I come back in. Unless…?” He leaned in the doorway, brows lifted. “You <em>want</em> me to interrupt?”</p><p>He dodged the pair of socks you’d been holding, backing out and laughing down the hall.</p><p>You stared at yourself in the mirror while you got undressed. It always felt so awkward looking at your body and the fact that he was in the house only made the experience that much more stressful. You tore off your clothes and switched to the most comfortable pair of sweatpants and t-shirt you owned. The ones from earlier were balled up and tossed into the laundry basket.</p><p>He knocked on the door. “Bathroom’s all yours. Promise I didn’t destroy it this time.”</p><p>You let him in. He gave you a once-over, the compliment already sitting on the tip of his tongue. You poked him in his side before he had a chance, causing him to wince – he’d always been ticklish and he hated that you knew his weakness. You filed into the bathroom to start your nighttime routine, pretending to be cool but inwardly screaming.</p><p>Kuroo made himself comfortable, like he always did. Snuggled up in your comforter, head on the pillow, his phone dangling over his face as he finished up a mini-quiz he’d made for an upcoming exam. He turned to gaze at you and lost his grip on his phone, the device falling flat on his face.</p><p>“Ah, dammit.”</p><p>“You okay?” You crawled on the bed. “That shit hurts.”</p><p>“Yeah it does. I think I might need a nose job. My moneymaker!” he lamented.</p><p>“Ha, ha. Dummy.” You leaned forward and placed a light kiss on the tip, knowing that was what he wanted all along. “So are you going to smush your face between my pillows like you always do, or am I actually going to get a good night’s rest?”</p><p>He grabbed one of them for emphasis. “I dunno, what’re you offering me?”</p><p>“A chance to sleep in my bed. Otherwise I <em>will</em> kick you out to the couch.”</p><p>He shoved the pillow away and grabbed your waist, tugging you towards him. The suddenness of it nearly had you faceplant into the mattress. His arm snaked around so he could instead rest his head on your chest, nestled in between your breasts.</p><p>“See, this works, too.”</p><p>“You are the worst.” You laughed anyway. “Are you really gonna sleep like that?”</p><p>He made some kind of offhanded noise, fully buried and refusing to move. You sighed and leaned over to shut the lamp off. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but you’d slept in worse ways. You reached a hand up and threaded it through his hair. He didn’t seem to mind. If anything maybe he even dropped more weight onto you.</p><p>You closed your eyes and relished his added body warmth, the stress of the day fading away with your consciousness.</p><p>You woke up a couple of times that night. One, because Kuroo had managed to kick off the covers and you were freezing. Two, because eventually his warmth from earlier turned from soothing into downright torture. You had to try and pry him off you. He was heavy sleeper which made it even more difficult.</p><p>When the sunshine finally filtered in through the blinds and your alarm went off, Kuroo was still asleep. He had somehow ended up right back in the position you started. You guessed that your boobs were good alternatives to pillows, too. You rolled out of bed and fell onto the floor. Before he could stir, you took the two pillows and tucked them on either side of his head. Hey, it was his go-to position.</p><p>You went to pee and then headed to the kitchen to start breakfast. Mostly because Kuroo would need to eat before he went to practice. You rummaged through the fridge and decided to go with omurice. Half of it was to tease him, the other half because you actually had a soft spot for it since it was the last homecooked meal your grandma made you before she died.</p><p>Kuroo stumbled out of the hallway and ambled over to the kitchen table, flopping down with his head resting against the wooden surface. He mumbled out a good morning and you chuckled, finishing up his plate.</p><p>“You better be hungry.”</p><p>“What’d you make?” he slurred, rubbing his eyes and trying to wake up. “Wait, you made me breakfast?”</p><p>“Yep. Sure did.” You sat down and pushed the plate towards him, proud of yourself for how well it turned out. “Your clothes from yesterday are in the wash, by the way. I figured you wouldn’t mind wearing the same thing. Unless you wanted to stop by your place and pick up a fresh set, it’s up to you.”</p><p>He grinned and shoveled his first bite into his mouth. “Nah, I’ll wear it again. Not like anyone’ll notice. Hey, next time I sleep over, I’ll cook.”</p><p>“Why? That bad?” you joked. He huffed and continued eating, not bothering to take the bait.</p><p>You had to admit, it was nice eating with someone in the mornings. You hadn’t really done so since the beginning of the year when you still lived at home.</p><p>When it was time for Kuroo to split, he lingered outside your door before taking off. “Thanks for letting me to stay over.”</p><p>“It was fun. Even if you almost suffocated me in my sleep.” You closed your eyes as soon as he bent down to kiss you. “Have fun at practice. Tell Yakkun I said hi.”</p><p>He waved and headed down the street before he got scolded for stalling too long. You crossed your arms and shook your head. He was in a good mood judging by the pep in his step. You were chipper, too. Even if he did leave you with a sink full of dirty dishes.</p><p>Summer break was right around the corner and you still had no clue what to do for Aiko. She had tried searching around her neighborhood for a volleyball group, but the sport wasn’t popular with the elderly residents that made up the majority of the street. When she stopped by the community center, only men’s teams were looking for members.</p><p>As surprising as it was, Aiko was a friend to you now. You didn’t like seeing her so disheartened, especially not when this seemed important to her</p><p>You were in the school library staring at the screen, unblinking, trying to search the online reference portal for materials on a report when Mr. Dobashi called your name.</p><p>“Do you have a moment?”</p><p>You nodded and abandoned your reading material. You weren’t getting very far anyway. You and Mr. Dobashi exited the library. He was trying to find you some privacy, especially considering most of the girls in the room were giving him bedroom eyes. You felt a little sorry for him. No one deserved to be looked at like they were a piece of meat.</p><p>The only place remotely deserted was actually the courtyard. It was hot as hell outside and plenty of the girls avoided the harsh afternoon sun because they were scared of getting wrinkles. He sat down on the nearby bench and you followed suit. It felt pretty nice out here; the fresh air was a welcome change from the stifling air conditioning from inside. You let the warm rays soak into your skin as a gentle breeze tousled your hair.</p><p>“I received some interesting news from a friend of mine. Apparently for the first time in a while there will be a special training camp for their male volleyball club. It will involve several other schools they have rivalries with. The newspaper club was supposed to run a story about the experience, but one of the members came down with a bad virus and passed it on to everyone else. Normally I wouldn’t care much, but I know you have an interest in the sport.”</p><p>You perked a brow at him. “I do?”</p><p>“You spend much of your free time looking up things related to volleyball, such as checking the news frequently for upcoming games. Or am I wrong?”</p><p>He wasn’t, but it was still embarrassing to be called out like this. “Well, Aiko is really hoping to join a team, but she hasn’t had much luck.”</p><p>“I see. I apologize, then, for assuming.”</p><p>“It’s okay.” You weren’t going to comment on the weirdness of him being aware of what you were doing. “I’d like to take the story, though. It’ll give me a chance to interview a lot of dedicated players and share their stories with people at this school. Maybe it’ll inspire others to want to form a club.”</p><p>Mr. Dobashi nodded. “I’ll let them know to contact you with the details. What number is best for you?”</p><p>You were a little uncomfortable when he presented his phone to you. He wanted to add you into his contacts. You knew that you were probably reading too much into this. Mr. Dobashi had successfully fended himself off from a gaggle of girls who trailed after him at every waking moment. He rebuffed their advances and was always firm with how uninterested he was. Still, this combined with his earlier observation made you a little hesitant.</p><p>“I will only pass it along to the president of the club. No need to worry.”</p><p>“Ah…sorry.” You weren’t sure why you felt the need to apologize. “I’m just not used to giving out people my number. I think I really only have like five or six contacts.”</p><p>He chuckled. “I figured as much. If you see an unknown number try to call, please answer; it is most likely one of the club members trying to reach out to you.”</p><p>“Sure. Okay. Do you know when this camp is supposed to be?”</p><p>He leaned backwards and the branches of the nearby tree dappled sunlight across his cheeks. “You should ask your boyfriend. He’s invited.”</p><p>The afternoon bell rang, its monotonous tone reverberating through every inch of the courtyard. Mr. Dobashi drew himself up from his seat before giving you a small wave. You didn’t even know what to think at this point. He was casual in the way that he left, back turned toward you with long, measured steps leading to the building.</p><p>You realized you’d been frowning the entire time before he finally disappeared beyond the doors. How did he know you were dating someone? How did he know who Kuroo was? And why would Kuroo be sent to a training camp? How would he know that before you did?</p><p>You stared down at your phone and was about to text Kuroo when you received a message from him. Speak of the devil.</p><p>
  <em>You’re not gonna believe where I’m going over the summer!</em>
</p><p>You wondered if you should talk to him about the weird vibes you were getting, but decided against it. You knew that you tended to be hyperaware and overly sensitive when it came to other people’s interactions with you. That was the price you paid for trying to exist in this body of yours, you guessed.</p><p>Being on guard all of the time didn’t leave you much room to trust others who tried to be friendly with you. Especially someone like Mr. Dobashi. Ever since you asked him to be the student advisor and he accepted, he had been much more willing to zero in on you, whether in the classroom or at club meetings.</p><p>You didn’t want to worry Kuroo. It was probably nothing. He hadn’t done anything wrong. Mr. Dobashi probably heard rumors about you from the other girls in school. It didn’t help that Kuroo was always a spectacle when he came to pick you up. Seemed like everyone knew his name and anticipated him dropping by every day.</p><p>You stepped outside the school gates at the end of the day and found Kenma waiting for you instead. “Hey! What’re you doing here?”</p><p>“Kuroo asked me to pick you up since he’d be running late from practice.”</p><p>“You’re really sweet, you know that?” You meant it. Kenma was always looking out for you in his own way, even if he wasn’t as obvious about it as Kuroo was. “And here I was anticipating the lonely bus ride to my place.”</p><p>“Sorry to disappoint you,” he chuckled. “Do you mind if we stop by the store on the way back? I need to pick up a few things.”</p><p>“Sure, let’s go.”</p><p>It had been a while since you and Kenma hung out on your own. You remembered when you first met how wary and shy he was of you. Not that you made it easy to gain his trust, especially with the way you managed to make yourself look like such an ass.</p><p>You examined his profile and when he caught you staring, his eyes cast downwards at the ground and his expression turning meek. “Is there something wrong?” he asked quietly.</p><p>“No. Just thinking about how glad I am that we’re friends.” You didn’t miss the way his cheeks turned pink. “You’ve always been there for me. I know I probably don’t tell you enough. So…thank you.”</p><p>Kenma shot you a bright smile and you returned it. “I feel the same way.”</p><p>“Good! Hey, remember I told you I downloaded that otome with the gacha? Dude, I grinded for two days and I got the SSR card drop. It came with an exclusive romantic story with my main squeeze, but now it boosted my stats enough where I can easily clear the next mission! But, um, don’t tell Tetsurou I still play dating games even though we’re together…”</p><p>“Don’t worry. I won’t.” He laughed and listened to you rant the rest of the way, your languid pace stretching your time together just a little longer.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i was screaming when i saw the responses for my quiz...y'all are thirsty for one character in particular and i don't blame you.</p><p>thanks for your lovely comments, they mean the absolute world to me. &lt;3</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Cover Story</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You observe the summer training camp for a news article and get distracted. Heavily. Maybe things will calm down once school starts back up...</p>
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    <p>“Thank you so much for doing this. When Dobashi told me that one of his students would be willing to help us out during this crucial time of the year, we were so relieved. You would think that spring and fall would be the worst times for kids to get the flu. I guess it still goes around from time to time no matter where you are.”</p><p>You nodded, letting the advisor for Fukurodani’s newspaper club keep entertaining himself with idle chatter. He had a lot more free time since his students were all out ill, which meant he was able to set aside a brief meeting between the two of you. You wanted his opinion on what to be looking for when it came to observing the training camp, just so you got this right.</p><p>“What we’re really focusing on is how hard everyone is working. I hear we have a phenomenal lineup this year and there’s a good shot at our team going to nationals. Surprisingly enough, volleyball is one of our most popular sports, and we always draw a huge crowd at every game. Local news coverage is fine, but you’re a student, you know what the student demographic is truly interested in. They’ll be a lot more comfortable sharing their thoughts and dreams with a girl their own age, and not put on airs like they would with a stuffy reporter.”</p><p>It made sense, though you felt a little more nervous now that you saw how important this story was going to be for the school.</p><p>“I can see you’re worried, don’t be! I’ve read some of your writing and I know the team will be in good hands. I’ve compiled a list of the team members so you can familiarize yourselves with their names. I know it’ll be a little intimidating meeting so many new people. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to text me or the president.”</p><p>“I’ll do my best.”</p><p>You picked up your bag and headed for the doorway, only for the teacher to call out to you one more time. “By the way, Dobashi spoke highly of you. I’m really glad to see that he’s settled into the school. He’s never been one to interact much with his students outside of class, so I’m sure he sees you’re very talented.”</p><p>You were stunned at his comment. “Oh…thank you. Sir, how do you know Mr. Dobashi?”</p><p>“He’s my brother-in-law,” he chuckled. “I’ve known him for at least ten years now. I know he can be unapproachable sometimes, but he is passionate about teaching. It’s been his dream for his whole life, so I’ve heard.”</p><p>You tilted your head and considered his words, chewing on them just long enough before it got awkward. “He’s a good teacher. I respect him a lot. I won’t let either of you down.”</p><p>“He was right. You’re very kind. I’m so glad he picked you.”</p><p>You exited the room and headed down the empty halls, hoping that you would be able to study the information packet long enough not to make an ass out of yourself.</p><p>You didn’t tell Kuroo that you would be stopping by the training camp. You kind of wanted it to be a surprise. He was so involved in practice these days that you didn’t have much time to hang out as it was. He probably thought you were angry that he had a commitment for the break, but honestly, you were glad that he was able to hone skills that he enjoyed so much.</p><p>Kenma stretched out on the chair in Kuroo’s room while you rolled around on the bed. Kuroo rummaged through his closet, no doubt making sure he had plenty clothes to take with him to the camp. It wasn’t going to last very long, but they would have to stay the night in a dorm of sorts. Kuroo was stuffing clothes into his bag when you leaned over and tugged on the edge of his shirt.</p><p>“Are you really just crumpling them up like that?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>You shook your head. “Do you want wrinkly clothes the entire time? If you needed help folding, you could’ve just asked.</p><p>As haughty and mature as he seemed most of the time, he did have moments where he did prove that he was just a stupid boy.</p><p>You both sprawled out on the ground and redid his packing so it actually made sense this time. You were so engrossed in what you were doing that you didn’t even notice he had been talking to you.</p><p>“I said, what’re you gonna do for the week?”</p><p>“Oh, uh…I’m working on a story for the club.” You didn’t go any further than that. “Mr. Dobashi was the one who asked me to help.”</p><p>“What’s the deal with that guy, anyway? I’ve seen the comments he writes on your tests and stuff. He’s way harsher to you than Aiko, and you guys are in the same class.” Kuroo zipped up the pocket of his bag that contained several pairs of socks. His fingers traced the initials embroidered on the outside of it, pausing when he got to the last stroke of kanji.</p><p>You shrugged. “Beats me.”</p><p>“Maybe you’re his favorite student.” Kenma didn’t look up from his phone. “He picks on you because he knows you can do better. Sometimes you do the minimum to get by when it gets overwhelming. He could be giving you the push you need.”</p><p>“I guess so…” You sighed. “I would rather be off his radar, to be honest. It’s not easy being on guard all of the time. I figure that if I do this story, then maybe he’ll back off a little bit.”</p><p>“Want me to kick his ass? I’ll send him a challenge letter and everything.”</p><p>“Ew, you’re so weird,” you laughed. “Stuff like that would be cool if you were maybe in a shounen manga from the eighties.”</p><p>Kenma locked his phone and gazed at you both in amusement. “If she really wanted someone to win the fight, she’d just have to call Minoru.”</p><p>Kuroo was scandalized by his comment, clutching his chest mockingly. “Ouch.”</p><p>You packed your own bag when you got home that night. Kuroo wanted to stay over. You told him it was off the table because he’d been using Kenma as an excuse way too much. You couldn’t risk setting his parents’ radar off. In reality, you were trying to shake him off since you didn’t want him questioning why you were locked in your room stuffing your bag full of supplies.</p><p>It wasn’t that the gym where the practices were held was far away, but the president insisted that you stay with the managers in their dorm. You weren’t particularly excited by spending the majority of your time with a bunch of strangers. You just told yourself it was all for Aiko. She was still trying to find anyone who would listen and convince them to start a team with her. Countless girls had turned her down. You had to pitch in somehow.</p><p>You climbed aboard the bus bright and early. You were told that the managers of Fukurodani would be expecting you, though you were still nervous in entering the place alone. You’d already gone there once to familiarize yourself with the way since your stupid anxious brain ran through a thousand different scenarios on how you could get lost.</p><p>You made your way toward the gym, zeroing in on the grandiose building it was held in. It was so much bigger in person compared to the pictures you’d sifted through on the Internet. The steps had just been repainted and were a glaring bright white, beckoning you towards the doors so you could make yourself known. You paused when you realized that there were several courts spread throughout the plot of land. Which one was Fukurodani in?</p><p>You swallowed hard and tried to fish your phone out of your bag. Maybe you could text the president and ask. Or should you just wander around and hope that the managers found you?</p><p>In the midst of your fumbling, you hadn’t noticed the player who was outside taking a long sip from the water fountain. You glanced up just long enough to realize that he had been staring at you openly. His mouth was ajar and the stream hit the side of his mouth. His head was angled in your direction rather than the flow of water. You blinked at him and wondered if he saw someone behind you that he recognized. No such luck.</p><p>He drew himself up, almost mechanically, and walked toward you like he was some kind of extraterrestrial pretending to be human. You clutched the strap of your bag tighter. His face pushed through the shadows that the roof cast on his face, sunlight illuminating his very…distinctive features.</p><p>You remembered him from your dossiers. “Um…you’re Bokuto, aren’t you?”</p><p>He froze mid-step. Disbelief crossed his features and color bloomed across his face. “Y-you know who I am?!”</p><p>“Yeah. I’m here to interview you. You played at the Tokyo practice tournament not too long ago, right? I was impressed with your spikes. They were really cool.”</p><p>You weren’t sure what it was that set him off. He looked ready to explode. You took a step back before he could lunge at you, and bumped into someone with a much slighter frame than your own.</p><p>“Bokuto. What are you doing harassing the reporter?” The brown-haired girl gave him a lazy, almost sardonic smile. “She’s here to interview the team.”</p><p>You did a double-take, because you were positive that boy’s hair just deflated. “Oh…the team? I thought she was just here for me…”</p><p>How his attitude did a one-eighty, you’d never know. It looked like a little raincloud had settled over his shoulders and released a steady downpour.</p><p>The girl laughed and stepped around you, that foxlike expression still painted on her face. “Don’t mind him. He’s got a one-track mind, but he’ll bounce back. I’m Shirofuku Yukie, assistant manager. Come on, I’ll take you to meet the others. Bokuto! Get back to the gym. I think they’re calling you.”</p><p>He recoiled like a chastised puppy and hesitated. “When can I talk with her? Can I be the first to interview? Pleeease?!”</p><p>She looked at you and you gave a slight shrug. “That’s okay with me. I’d be happy to.”</p><p>His bright grin could’ve rivaled the strong sunlight bursting around his head like a halo. “YES! Wait, before I go, tell me your name!”</p><p>Yukie steered you away before you could answer. Bokuto jumped up and down to wave at you, arms flapping haphazardly.</p><p>You were thankful she stepped in, only because his personality was so overwhelming. His smile was contagious, though. She didn’t say much along the way, aside from complaining that she was hungry and asked if you were, too. When you said yes, she promised the two of you would grab a snack as soon as you could.</p><p>The room you were staying in wasn’t big, but there was plenty enough room for everyone. Fukurodani had one manager and two assistants in training, Yukie included. Nekoma didn’t have any. Ubugawa had one and so did Shinzen. There would be a total of six of you spending your nights together. It made you feel a little better that you weren't the only one without a classmate.</p><p>The manager of Fukurodani stepped forward to introduce herself. “I'm Keiko. You must be the girl from Hanagasaku. Sheesh! I can’t imagine how fried your brain must be right now. Don’t they give you the summer off?” When you didn’t answer, she laughed. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you had the time to help our newspaper club out. The boys were disappointed when we told them they might not get a place in the paper this year.”</p><p>You were relieved she was so kind. “It’s not a problem. If I wasn’t here, I’d be holed up for the entire week watching movies and sleeping.”</p><p>“That’s how a summer vacation should be,” Yukie drawled. “Although I don’t mind free food here. Even if we have to be the ones to help cook it. Kaori makes a mean curry.”</p><p>Maybe it was your experience with Aiko, as spending time with them was a lot easier than you thought it would be. You were afraid that they would be kind of snobby since the entirety of your school’s population was. But all of them were nice and easygoing. You could see yourself getting through this trip without worrying too much.</p><p>“We should get going. The guys are probably done doing drills and we’ve got to be there to take notes and keep score. You’ll be able to see them in action for a little bit, then at lunch we’ll make sure that you get some time to talk with at least one of them.”</p><p>Yukie leaned forward with her hand cupped over her mouth. “Bokuto’s got eyes on her already. We should probably save him for last so she doesn’t run off.”</p><p>All of you walked with each other to the gym. Yukie took it upon herself to remain at your side. It was nice to feel like you were part of something. Sure, you had a few acquaintances in the newspaper club, but these girls seemed much more easygoing.</p><p>“Looks like they’re starting. You’ve got a front row seat.” Yukie settled in next to you on the court. “Have you been to a lot of games before?”</p><p>“Just enough to get the gist of it.”</p><p>You zeroed in on the two teams. Nekoma was playing on another court, so you would just have to catch Kuroo a little later. You scanned over the team members and paid rapt attention as the game began.</p><p>While you weren’t as overzealous as Aiko was when it came to stuff like this, you could see why she wanted to involve herself in it. Each player had their own strengths and weaknesses. They all had sheer drive, determination and killer hand-eye coordination in common. Their stamina forced them to remain on the court, and their adrenaline from the game spurred them to continue serving, receiving and spiking like nobody’s business.</p><p>You took some notes as you watched, trying to match the pictures in your reference book to the players on the court. The upperclassmen were good, no doubt, but it seemed like Bokuto was cut from a different cloth. He had this easy way of playing that showed an immense amount of talent and passion in equal measure. You took note of their teamwork and did your best to articulate your immediate thoughts which you could organize later.</p><p>It took just two sets for Fukurodani to gain their victory. You had to admit, you were impressed. You clutched your notebook to your chest as the boys ran over to the sidelines to hydrate before their next game. You were glad to see how well they got along with each other.</p><p>Although…it was a little nervewracking. Bokuto wanted to be interviewed. He seemed like the type of guy to relish the spotlight. He watched you the entire time he sucked down from his water bottle, his broad grin and enthusiastic wave causing you to shrink a little bit.</p><p>“He’s such a dope,” Yukie laughed. “If you want, I can be there to supervise so he doesn’t get out of hand. Otherwise I feel like he’ll just corner you and spend the entire time drilling you about how awesome you think he is.”</p><p>The gym doors on the other side opened up and the familiar red uniforms filtered in. You spotted Kuroo and Yaku conversing with each other. Ever since Yaku stood up for you, Kuroo made more of an effort to get to know him. It made you so happy that the two of them were forming their own friendship. It felt like just yesterday that both of them were making faces at the other behind your back.</p><p>As much as you wanted to greet Kuroo and see the shock on his face, you held yourself back. He needed to be in top form when playing. You didn’t want to be a distraction.</p><p>The whistle blew and the game started. Fukurodani and Nekoma matched point for point. It looked like there was still some major competitiveness since their last faceoff with each other. All of them were hyperfocused and eager to prove themselves to the other team. The tension was electric and for the first time, maybe ever, you understood what it was like to get caught up in the rivalry.</p><p>“It’s nice to see Nekoma is keeping up. Last year was kind of a drag,” the Fukurodani manager, Keiko, lamented. “This will give our boys the chance to get in enough practice to make it to nationals.”</p><p>“You keep staring at that guy, the tall one with the spiked black hair.” Yukie peered over your shoulder and shot you a knowing smile. “Is he a friend of yours?”</p><p>“Um…well, we’re dating, actually.” You could sense the embarrassment thrum through your veins. It was like this every time you told someone.</p><p>All of the girls exchanged glances and several of them elbowed each other, giggling.</p><p>“He’s cute!”</p><p>“So now we know the <em>real</em> reason you agreed to come here.”</p><p>You stammered. “No! I mean, yes, I did want to surprise him. But I agreed before I knew he would be here. I really do want to run the story. My best friend wants to play volleyball, but our school doesn’t have a team. I was hoping my story showcasing your team would be enough to convince some people to join.”</p><p>Kaori put her fists underneath her chin. “That’s really sweet of you. So he doesn’t know you’re here?”</p><p>“Nope.” You shook your head. “I don’t want to get in the way of his practice, so I’ll probably talk to him at lunch or something.”</p><p>Now that the cat was out of the bag, it didn’t feel so awkward when you snuck a few more glances at Kuroo during the game. As close as it was, Fukurodani did end up winning. Nekoma rushed off to do some exercises as punishment for their loss, which meant you were back to concentrating on your story.</p><p>You’d taken down what you could, and it was finally time for lunch. Just seeing how raring to go all of the guys were despite being in constant motion for the past four hours was enough to make your head spin. You followed Yukie to the kitchen where she and the other girls had prepared food for all of the guys. With the help of the coaches, of course.</p><p>“We’ll hand out the plates and make sure everyone’s gotten something to eat. Then we’ll let them have seconds if they’re still hungry. Gotta make sure no one goes overboard.” Yukie slurped up her own bowl of noodles, which she’d snagged from the bowl before dishing anything out. “You should set some aside for yourself. I’m sure you know how big of an appetite these guys can have.”</p><p>You weren’t really prepared for the chaos that followed. All of you stood in a line and created plates for the guys. You were in charge of dishing out scoops of rice, so you were at the very front of the line. You gazed at the queue of guys and spotted Kuroo just a few spots down, in his own little world as he and Yaku chatted.</p><p>Kuroo was so absorbed in texting that he barely looked up at you. You chuckled. From over the counter, you could see him messaging you. He was such a loser. You dropped down the scoops of rice and, with a slight of your hand, shaped a haphazard heart. Kuroo’s fingers lingered on the plate and he finally tore his eyes from the screen, zeroing in on the design of the food.</p><p>“Uh…no offense but, I’m dating someone,” he muttered, slowly lifting his head to turn you down gently.</p><p>“Really? That’s too bad. I was hoping I could ask you out on a date.” You couldn’t contain your cheesy grin when your voice registered for him. He snapped up to lock eyes with you and shock bloomed across his handsome features.</p><p>“What are you doin’ here?” Kuroo laughed, leaning in closer. The girls next to you just started giggling. He had no qualms about showing his affection, which caused a few hoots and whistles from the guys behind him.</p><p>“Serving you lunch. What’s it look like? Now move on, pretty boy, you’re holding up the line.” You jerked your head to the left and perked a brow at him, a flirtatious smile creeping along.</p><p>Kuroo grinned. “You think I’m pretty, huh?”</p><p>“Yeah, pretty lame.” You could barely contain your laughter. He grabbed his plate and slid on down to the next station, fully intending on cornering you later. You could just see it in his eyes.</p><p>Yaku gazed at you as he stepped up. “Is there a reason why you didn’t tell us you would be here?”</p><p>“Mostly ‘cuz I wanted to see the dopey looks on your faces. Nice to see you too, by the way.” You ignored the exasperated sigh he gave you. He acted like he was bothered and you knew better. He was happy you were here.</p><p>The rest of the players came and went. You got a little flustered being surrounded by so many athletic guys, so it was mostly a lot of awkward smiles on your part. You were ready to step away and start on your own plate of food when a hulking figure stooped over the counter to peer at you.</p><p>“What’s your name?!”</p><p>You blinked. It was Bokuto. He was so excitable, his eyes shimmering with curiosity. You told him what it was and he closed his eyes, rubbing his chin in deep thought.</p><p>“Can I do the interview first? Are you going to take pictures of me?”</p><p>You did snap some on your phone for the story, just in case. You looked over to Yukie for help. She was already on her way, pushing past the other girls and crossing her arms.</p><p>“Bokutooo. You’ll get your chance later. We’re hungry so let us eat, got it?”</p><p>He refused to budge. “Only if you promise I get the first interview!”</p><p>Yukie sighed and glanced over at her upperclassman, then you. You were a little weary of his enthusiasm and knew that if you got it over with, he would leave you alone for the rest of the day.</p><p>“Yes,” you told him, maintaining eye contact. Unhinged joy caused him to let out a triumphant shout, pumping a fist into the air. “But after I’m done eating.”</p><p>That was what it took for him to leave. You exhaled and glanced over at the Fukurodani managers. All of them were sympathetic toward you and you returned the sentiment. They had to deal with that boy’s overwhelming personality nearly every day. They were made of stronger stuff than you were.</p><p>You sat with the girls only because you wanted to chat with them about why they chose volleyball. You could sense that someone was staring at you. You looked over your shoulder and saw Kuroo sneaking a glance at you. You laughed and gave him a slight wave. He grinned in response.</p><p>“Hey,” Yukie whispered. “Bokuto’s distracted. Grab your boyfriend and spend a few minutes together before he starts looking for you.”</p><p>You couldn’t even protest before they shoved you behind the gym. Kuroo had already ditched his table and jogged over to meet you, the two of you rounding the corner where you were out of sight and mind. You didn’t even have time to say anything, because he decided to act like a shoujo manga love interest and push you against the wall in a very stupid(ly hot) kabe don.</p><p>“What are you doing?” You laughed out of embarrassment, not wanting to let him know how flustered you were. “You’d better not kiss me. You’re all sweaty.”</p><p>“You know it’s like a pheromone thing, right? You can’t resist~”</p><p>He snickered and bent down to bring you into a soft kiss. His warm, calloused hands cupped either side of your face, his own tilting into an angle that would deepen it even further. You sighed against him and arched into his body, swallowed up by the sounds of your lips parting and meeting together again.</p><p>“Tetsurou…”</p><p>“I never get tired of hearing you say my name like that.” His lips lingered on your cheek, trailing down to the junction of your neck. “You—”</p><p>“WHOA!”</p><p>You and Kuroo separated from each other instantly, the sound of the shout nearly sending your heart into overdrive. You wiped your mouth on the back of your hand and tried to act like nothing had happened. Kuroo’s hand tangled in his hair, the other resting on his hip, eyes closed in frustration. Both of you were stunned to see a very red-faced Bokuto standing not too far away.</p><p>“S-sorry! I’m not looking!” he exclaimed, slapping his hands over his face to illustrate his point.</p><p>Bokuto tried to take off running back to the rest of the group and promptly ran face first into the nearby wall. You watched in horror as his body recoiled, toppling backwards into the grass, a grunt of discomfort leaving his taut lips.</p><p>Kuroo burst out laughing at the sight and you shot him a look that shut him up in an instant. You sped over to where Bokuto was and dropped down, biting your lip, trying to inspect him for any serious damage. You didn’t want to be the cause of a team member’s injury.</p><p>“Are you okay?”</p><p>His eyes, which were scrunched up still, finally snapped open. He took one look at you and sprang up, launching his body into the air and landing hard on his feet. You stared up at him in disbelief. How in the hell was he so agile when he was that big? Bokuto’s face was red, but he played it off like it was nothing.</p><p>“Just fine! I’ve got a pretty hard head and I’m used to running into stuff!”</p><p>“Yeah, we can see that,” Kuroo snickered. He seemed pretty amused with Bokuto’s boundless energy and childlike excitement.</p><p>You drew yourself up and surveyed him for a moment. “Just try to take it easy, okay? Don’t want you walking around with a concussion and then going back into the game. I’m sorry that we startled you.”</p><p>He shook his head vigorously. “I’ll be fine! Can we do the interview now? I’ve got a lot to say and I’m ready for my closeup!”</p><p>You were in awe of how downright stubborn he was. He really liked attention, it seemed. “Let me grab my stuff. We should go somewhere quiet so we’re not interrupted.” You shot Kuroo an apologetic look. He simply waved his hand like it was no big deal.</p><p>“Gotcha!” He trailed after you like a puppy, already babbling about how much he had been looking forward to this.</p><p>The both of you took a seat underneath a massive camphor tree planted in the fields beyond the gym. It was a welcome piece of shade with just enough branches where the breeze could still pass through. You brought out your notebook. Your stomach clenched in nervousness, only because this was the first time you’d ever done a live interview before.</p><p>“So…I read over your profile. You’re a first-year, right? You managed to get a spot as the team’s wing spiker. I think I mentioned before that I saw you at the tournament. It’s kind of rare for teams to let first years play so frequently, but you’ve been in every game so far this year.”</p><p>The entire time you spoke, he sat cross-legged in front of you and leaned forward, seemingly in awe of how much information you managed to rattle off about him. You brushed some of your hair back from falling in your face and returned to your notes.</p><p>“What made you want to play volleyball, Bokuto?”</p><p>“Volleyball means everything to me! There’s nothing like it. When I’m on the court, with everyone watching and cheering, that’s the best. I started playing when I was a kid, just five years old, and every time I win, it only makes me want to train harder. I’m going to be my team’s ace and then the number one ace in Japan!”</p><p>You had to admit, he was very passionate. “You’re driven. I can see how much you enjoy it. I don’t think it’s impossible. And when it does happen, just remember I’m rooting for you.”</p><p>He grinned and edged closer to you. “You will? Do you want to be a member of my fan club, then?”</p><p>“Uh…” You almost laughed in his face and it took all of your willpower not to. “You have a fan club?”</p><p>“Not yet! But it’s going to happen!” He was so sure of himself. You couldn’t imagine even having a fraction of his confidence. “My classmates come to my games just to watch me play because I’m so cool!” he bragged. “That’s why I definitely can’t lose.”</p><p>Bokuto really took the opportunity to speak freely and ran with it. You had prepared more questions for him. Surprisingly in the midst of his soliloquy he managed to hit on several points you wanted to stress. Volleyball for him was a way of life. It wasn’t just a hobby. He was fully prepared to commit his entire being to the game and represent his school. This was a prime example of why Fukurodani was always on its way to finals in championship games.</p><p>Honestly, based on what he told you, you really didn’t need much info from the other players. But it wouldn’t be fair to just have the story center around him. You thanked him for his time and he drew himself up to his full height, hands on his hips.</p><p>“You gonna take my picture?”</p><p>“Um…well, I was going to take a picture of the whole team,” you admitted. “But I can take one now just in case.”</p><p>He scrambled to get into a position where he would “look the part” in being the coolest member of the team. He made you snap a picture of him with his jacket draped over his shoulders, arms crossed, and one leg perched on a rock. He looked more like the protagonist of an anime than a volleyball player. Still, you had to admit, he was photogenic.</p><p>“Can I sit in for your other interviews?” He followed you as you made your way back to the gym. “I want to know what my teammates have to say!”</p><p>You stopped midstep and turned toward him. As much as you knew from your time with him, Bokuto was the kind of guy who was over-the-top. All he needed was a gentle reminder to take things down a notch. It seemed like his teammates kind of let him do his thing since it was easier to placate him. You had a different approach.</p><p>“You can, but only if you don’t interrupt.” You held up a finger for emphasis. His eyes crossed as he stared at it. “I mean it. Don’t say a word. If you have questions or comments, they have to wait until after I’m done with ALL of my questions. Deal?”</p><p>He beamed. “Deal!” He nearly skipped after you all the way down the hill, going on a tangent about how happy he was that you were here.</p><p>With lunch out of the way, practice started back up again. You would just have to talk with Kuroo and Yaku at the end of the day. You helped the girls clean up from lunch and all of you went back to the court to observe the teams duke it out with each other.</p><p>Every team played multiple games and still had it in them to go through exercises as punishment if they lost. You were amazed with their stamina. Yukie and Kaori spoke with their upperclassman as she directed them on taking notes about the team’s performance. You listened in on their conversations, gleaning your own conclusions and tidbits of advice.</p><p>The guys were finally released and went to clean up before dinner. You weren’t even sure how they had the strength to crawl out of the gym. You waited by the entrance of the court where Kuroo and Yaku were, eyes sliding shut as you took a deep inhale of the cooling night air.</p><p>“HEY!”</p><p>You flinched at the sound and found Bokuto screech to a halt before you. “I talked to Taki and he said that he can talk to you right now!”</p><p>You blinked. “Um…Taki?”</p><p>“Yeah! Oh, wait, his real name is Tatsuki, but I call him Taki!”</p><p>You looked down at your notes. Washio Tatsuki, middle blocker, first year. You opened your mouth to say something when Kuroo finally emerged from the gym, stalking over to you with a mischievous expression.</p><p>“Oh ho ho? What’s going on out here?”</p><p>Bokuto pointed at him. “Wait a second…I recognize you. You’re that middle blocker who called me an owl with frosted tips! Huh…wait…you two?!” He whipped his head back and forth, mouth agape. You could both see the cogs in his head turning with great effort. “You’re dating <strong>this</strong> guy?!”</p><p>He must not have realized who Kuroo was when he walked in on you earlier. “Um, this is Kuroo Tetsurou. Tetsurou, this is Bokuto Koutarou.”</p><p>“Yeah, I know who he is. He couldn’t stop shouting at the audience to chant his name at the tournament.” Kuroo smirked. “This guy’s a real airhead.”</p><p>“Wha-?!” Bokuto was about to interject when you did it for him.</p><p>“Don’t be a dick, Tetsurou.” You stepped away from the both of them. “I’m going to have dinner. You can come or not. But don’t start picking fights with each other just because you’re rivals on the court. If anything, you two could learn a lot from each other.”</p><p>Kuroo huffed and trailed after you, nearly dragging his feet. “From this guy? Why?”</p><p>“He’s got powerful spikes and a critical eye. With some polishing, I’m sure he would be able to punch through any of your defenses if you two were to go toe-to-toe again.”</p><p>Bokuto gave chase, too. “You really think so?!”</p><p>“Yes. But Tetsurou has killer instincts and picks up on things quickly. You can’t fool him with the same trick twice. If you have a weakness, he’ll find it, and he’ll exploit it. So next time you spike down on him, you might find he’ll have the upper hand.”</p><p>You hadn’t realized that they were hanging on your every word when you entered the cafeteria. You paused before heading to the back to help with the food again. “The fact is, both of you have very important positions on the team. You’re meant to be enemies, right? But if you work together, you have a much better chance of learning new things from another perspective and using it to your advantage. It’ll make you more well-rounded players.”</p><p>Yukie called your name and waved over at you to join her. You sighed and snuck a look at both boys. “Anyways, you guys did great today, and I’m not just saying that. I liked watching you play. So…keep it up.”</p><p>Kuroo called after you, causing you to freeze before you disappeared around the corner. “Hey, let’s get married!”</p><p>“HUH?! Y-you’re still in high school!” Bokuto exclaimed. “Can you do that? Is that even allowed?”</p><p>You rolled your eyes and ignored the coy looks and knowing giggles from all of the managers. Several team members already seated whispered amongst themselves. Yaku was there and he looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole. Not before he got to see Kuroo burst into flames first.</p><p>Once the guys had their plates, you were about to head over to the girls’ table when you saw Bokuto stand up and wave his arms. “Over here! Come sit with me!”</p><p>“Maybe he thinks if he sucks up to you then you’ll make him the feature on the story,” Kaori laughed.</p><p>You were going to ignore him, but you noticed that Kuroo was sitting across from him. He mimicked Bokuto’s movements, more in mockery than anything, and poor Yaku just sat there with his head in his hands. You excused yourself from the girls and headed over to where they were.</p><p>“Nice plate!” Bokuto dove into his own, immediately going for the meat. You were shocked to see him make short work of his food.</p><p>“I didn’t think anyone could out-eat her,” Kuroo teased. “Dude, slow down or you’re going to choke.”</p><p>“It’s good, and good food doesn’t deserve to be wasted.” Bokuto scarfed down more of his rice in-between his words. “Did you know food is converted to energy? That we use during volleyball?! I was shocked, too.”</p><p>You snorted into your plate and nearly spewed a mouthful over the table. Kuroo grinned at your mishap while Yaku handed you a napkin.</p><p>“After dinner I’m conducting a couple of interviews. I have my phone on me so we can catch up afterwards.”</p><p>“Fiiine, I guess I’ll just curl up and die alone in my futon.” Kuroo pretended to be devastated, so you poked his cheek in response.</p><p>You stood up when you were done and went to track down Washio. Bokuto scrambled from his seat. “Wait up!” He took two more big bites and made sure no speck of food was left on his plate before he rushed after you.</p><p>You spent the next hour interviewing a few more Fukurodani members. Surprisingly, Bokuto kept his word about sitting still and not saying anything. Well, he did kind of fidget and bounce in his seat for a while. He didn’t interject and that was all you cared about. You had filled several pages in your notebook and thanked the guys for their time.</p><p>“We have time for one more before it’s lights out!”</p><p>You shook your head. “Sorry, I’m really tired. You should probably get some rest, too. You want to be at your best for tomorrow. Thanks again for agreeing to help me out.”</p><p>“Can I help tomorrow?” You could practically see the stars manifest in his eyes.</p><p>“Um…if you want to.” You waved at him, lingering in the doorway of the girls’ room. “Goodnight.”</p><p>The girls were all just hanging out when you came in. Some of them were on their phones. Yukie had grabbed a bag of chips and snacked on them while Kaori braided her hair. You excused yourself so you could get changed into your pajamas, feeling too awkward about your body to do so when they were in the room.</p><p>You stepped out and a figure emerged from the darkness of the hallway, their slender form slinking into the light. You would recognize that dumb smirk anywhere.</p><p>“If you were trying to scare me, it didn’t work!” you huffed. “But nice try. ‘A’ for effort.”</p><p>Kuroo snatched your hand as you protested, the two of you stumbling down the hallway towards the nearest set of doors.</p><p>“If you get us kicked out of the training camp and you’re suspended from playing, I’m never going to forgive you,” you hissed. He had taken you to the space underneath the stairs.</p><p>You knew your words had a bite to them. He didn’t seem to care. You watched as he reached down for your other hand, lacing your fingers together. You weren’t sure if it was the thrill of getting caught or the glint in his eyes, but your chest tightened. You trailed up to meet his gaze head on and your lips parted when you realized how focused he was on you.</p><p>“What?” you murmured. “If you want to make out, just say so. You’re giving me the creeps.”</p><p>“I’ve got an exclusive story you might wanna hear,” he told you, voice low and lilting. “But I don’t give out freebies.”</p><p>You backed up and felt your back hit something solid. Was that…a broken desk? You turned your attention back to him and saw him gesture for you to hop up on it.</p><p>“No way, I’m not doing that. The legs look like they’re gonna give at any time.”</p><p>“Just humor me.”</p><p>You sighed in exasperation and carefully lifted yourself up. The desk creaked in protest when you settled yourself on the flat surface of the table. You weren’t dropping your entire weight. You were too afraid to. Kuroo walked forward and nestled himself between your legs, urging you to wrap them around his waist.</p><p>“I heard there’s this guy playing on Nekoma’s team who’s absolutely nuts for you. It’s actually kind of embarrassing. Apparently you’re all he thinks about.”</p><p>“Is that so?” you asked, amused. “Too bad for him. I’ve got more important things to do than spend nights almost getting caught because he couldn’t keep his hormones in check.”</p><p>In response, he leaned forward and forced your body to grind down harder on the wood. You tensed up when he planted a light kiss on your forehead, hands on either side of your hips. You were anchored there with no chance to move.</p><p>“What do you think I should do about this guy?” you played along. “Sounds like he’s super pushy. Should I be worried?”</p><p>“Maybe.” He chuckled and inched forward, fully intending to lower you down on the desk so he could have you at his mercy.</p><p>Well, he might’ve done that – if the desk didn’t completely bend at the metal legs and drop down in a loud crash. You gasped and reached up to grab his shoulders to brace yourself. The entire thing clattered to the ground as the wood splintered into hefty-sized chips. You winced at the impact, even more so when you realized that Kuroo had lost his balance and pitched forward on top of you.</p><p>“Damn it, Tetsurou! This is exactly why I told you it was a bad idea!”</p><p>His shoulders shook and he just laughed. You couldn’t bring it in yourself to join him. Especially because the noise had echoed down the halls.</p><p>From not too far away, you heard a door slam open. You splayed your hands against Kuroo’s chest and forced him to get off you, both of you rolling on the ground before getting into a sitting position. He took your hand and dragged you to your feet as you did your best to rush as quietly as you could up the stairs to the next floor.</p><p>You were so done with him. He pushed you into the nearest unlocked classroom. You crept underneath the teacher’s desk. He tried to squeeze in with you but there was no way you’d both fit. You shoved him away with a huff and he tried so hard not to laugh, crawling on his hands and knees away so he could find somewhere else to hide.</p><p>You waited about five full minutes before you knew the coast was clear. Kuroo peered out of the supply closet and inched toward the exit. He stared through the frosted glass to see if anyone was out there. When he didn’t make any noise indicating a threat, he opened it just enough to get a good look at the hallway, which was thankfully empty.</p><p>“Let’s go,” he muttered, gesturing for you to follow him. “By the way, I’m expecting you make good on your promise to pay me for my juicy gossip.”</p><p>“Are you serious? I’m ignoring you for the next few days so you don’t pull something like this again! This is the last time I follow you somewhere for a romantic getaway!”</p><p>You were quick to part ways and you refused his goodnight kiss. He groaned about how unfair you were being. You were done with the messing around. You didn’t want to jeopardize the rest of your time here. You slipped into the room and found that the girls were more or less in the same position as before. None of them seemed to have heard the noise outside, because they just looked up and nodded at you when you settled down onto your futon.</p><p>You glanced down at your phone. Kuroo had sent you a bunch of heart emojis. What a dweeb. You texted Yaku and told him to let Kuroo know that he was banned from messing with you for the duration of your trip. Yaku didn’t respond, but you knew he’d read it, and was probably grilling Kuroo right about now. That was punishment in itself.</p><p>The next day was more of the same. Practice, practice, food, practice. You managed to squeeze in a few more interviews with the Fukurodani team. Bokuto merely supervised. None of them were quite as descriptive or excited as he was, which was just fine with you.</p><p>Kuroo cornered you that night after his final game. He tried to play it cool. You could see he was about to use that puppy-eyed look if you stretched on the silent treatment for too long.</p><p>“Hey, heard you broke up with your dumb boyfriend. Maybe you should date me instead.” Kuroo grinned down at you.</p><p>You sighed. “Why do I love you so much again?”</p><p>“Because I’m the best? Duh.” He reached down and wrapped his arms around your middle, swaying from side to side and encouraging you to follow his movements. “That owl-haired dude said that he wanted to continue practicing. Can you believe it?”</p><p>“Did he find anyone to join?”</p><p>“Don’t think so. He’s in there hitting balls over the net by himself.”</p><p>You beckoned him to come down and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Just help him.”</p><p>He groaned and headed for the doors with you in tow. You stepped inside and sure enough, there was Bokuto, practicing his serves. He didn’t seem to notice you since he was concentrating hard on his technique. This kind of thing was more about muscle memory than anything. He needed someone to practice with.</p><p>You elbowed Kuroo, who lingered near the bleachers. “Go on. I feel like I’m dropping my kid off at kindergarten or something.”</p><p>“Yeah, fine,” he mumbled. He strode forward. “Oi! Owl-Hair. You still need someone to practice with or not?”</p><p>Bokuto whipped around and once he spotted you, he broke into a grin. “You want to practice with me?!”</p><p>“I mean, not really.” Kuroo looked back and saw your eyes had narrowed. “At first. She kind of convinced me. Besides, I’m going to spend the next half hour – MAX, alright? – checking out your skills.”</p><p>Bokuto boomed with laughter, not deterred in the slightest by his confession. “Let’s go! I’ll get some more volleyballs!!!” He took off for the supply closet as Kuroo lifted his brows at you. He mouthed something you couldn’t understand. You made a quick heart with your fingers and he clutched his chest.</p><p>Kuroo and Bokuto had started a conversation up, most likely strategizing about what they wanted to work on first. You watched them for a little while, not realizing that Yaku had sidled up next to you with his water bottle in hand.</p><p>“Are those two still going?” He wiped his mouth on his forearm. “Didn’t they get enough earlier?”</p><p>A sudden idea struck you. “Yaku~” you sang, wrapping your hand around his arm and tugging. “Do you love me?”</p><p>“No.” He deadpanned. He turned heel and stalked off into the darkness. You called after him but he was already gone.</p><p>A couple of members from Shinzen also took a look at the both of them in the gym. They didn’t say anything to you, merely rushing past and approaching the boys to ask them if they could join. What started out as Bokuto forlornly playing alone had turned into a two-on-two battle. Although Kuroo and Bokuto still decided to play on opposite sides, you knew they would have to switch sometime. They’d figure out that their playing styles complimented each other.</p><p>You settled down that night in the room and booted up your laptop to start piecing together everything. You were still new to this kind of thing. You really hoped that Mr. Dobashi would guide you in the formatting and which details to omit. You only paused once and that was because the girls wanted to watch a movie together and needed to borrow your laptop to do it.</p><p>By the last day of the camp, you were more than ready to leave. You’d busted your ass on the project and wanted to do the final touches when you were in the comfort of your own home. You double, triple, and quadruple saved your draft just to make sure there were no unforeseen tragedies. You would all have one more big dinner and then catch the evening trains and buses out of here.</p><p>“We should exchange numbers and hang out sometime,” Kaori managed to tell you before snatching your phone from your fingers. “Plus you’ll have to tell us if the article made a difference in helping your school start a team!”</p><p>You were a little embarrassed, but acquiesced. Yukie was quick to put her number in, too. All of you started a group chat with the other managers from Shinzen and Ubugawa. The girls liked to lament about how dumb or childish the guys were and having someone empathize with them kept them sane during the school year. You were touched that they added you even though you weren’t really involved in a team.</p><p>“Bokuto is asking me if he can have your number.” Yukie showed you her screen, which was littered with emojis, exclamation marks and sentences all in caps. “I could tell him no, if you want. He just doesn’t get how over the top he can be.”</p><p>You could just feel Bokuto’s stare on your back. He was nice, all things considered. Plus, he and Kuroo had definitely gotten just a little bit closer since they started practicing after the coaches left. He was funny and you did admire his dedication, so you simply nodded.</p><p>“It’s okay. He’s fun.”</p><p>“Oh, I bet you’ll regret saying that,” the Fukurodani manager giggled. “Just be prepared for his late night existential dread. I think last month he woke me up in the middle of the night because he had a dream that we lost a game and he couldn’t remember if it actually happened.”</p><p>That got you to laugh. “Dammit. Now you tell me.”</p><p>“Too late.” Yukie handed your phone to you and you saw the slew of excited messages from him already. “Now we have another girl to share the burden.”</p><p>Once dinner was finished, you bid goodbye to the managers and the team itself. You thanked them for the opportunity and promised that you would do your best to deliver on a great article that showcased their strengths.</p><p>You headed down the stairs and stopped when you realized that both Kuroo and Bokuto were at the bottom.</p><p>“Hey,” you called out. “Thanks for waiting.”</p><p>Kuroo smirked. “He didn’t believe me when I said that we would go home together. Toldja she lives right down the street from me.”</p><p>Bokuto thought for a moment. “Okay! I can’t go with you guys. Will you text me when you get home? So I know you got there safe?”</p><p>You were a little embarrassed at how serious he was. “Um, sure. But only if you text me, too.”</p><p>“Don’t worry, I will.” He adjusted his bag over his shoulder and raised his hand high in the air, giving a stiff wave. “See you at our next versus game! Kuroo said you were gonna be there for sure!”</p><p>“Oh, I am?” you mused. “News to me.”</p><p>Bokuto darted off, calling for his teammates so he wouldn’t be left behind. Kuroo had his arms crossed and chuckled.</p><p>“That guy is really weird. Funny, but weird.”</p><p>“That’s crazy, that’s exactly how I feel about you.” You tried to hide your smile,. He made it come out in full force when he took your hand.</p><p>You were waiting for Yaku and he finally made an appearance. He looked exhausted. You offered to hold his bag for him and he declined. Typical.</p><p>“Yakkun is spending the night at my house,” you told Kuroo as you all headed for the bus stop. “His parents are out of town and he forgot his housekey when he left earlier in the week. Instead of giving him my copy and sending him back, I offered him the couch. I wanted to make sure he got enough rest.”</p><p>“Don’t let her keep you up with memes.” Kuroo swung your arms back and forth, unperturbed at anyone who might be watching and judging you. “If she starts going through that playlist on YouTube with all of the surreal humor, just pretend you’re asleep.”</p><p>Kuroo and Yaku both fell asleep on either of your shoulders on the bus ride home. For all their talk about how they weren’t tired, they sure were comfortable using you as a pillow. Maybe you needed to be one those people who got paid to be snuggle buddies or something. Apparently your body was perfect for it. Neither of them stirred even when the driver hit several potholes.</p><p>You roused them awake and you filed off the bus. It wasn’t too late in the evening. Kuroo groggily shuffled all the way to your front door while Yaku let himself inside, fully intending to change into his pajamas and crash out.</p><p>“I’m going to hole myself up in here to work on the story, so don’t freak out if I don’t answer my texts right away.”</p><p>Kuroo nodded and planted a chase kiss against your cheek. “Alright. Talk to you later.”</p><p>It wasn’t until you were curled up on the couch with a bag full of snacks when your phone buzzed incessantly. You glanced down at the empty contact picture and wondered who it was. You read over the name and swiped over to answer.</p><p>“Hello?”</p><p>“Are you okay?! You never texted me to let me know you got home safe!”</p><p>You winced at the volume of the voice on the other end. “Bokuto? Ugh, I’m so sorry. I lost track of time. I promise I’m at home safe, but thanks for checking up on me.”</p><p>He let out a giant sigh of relief. “Okay! I was just worried.”</p><p>“Sorry again. How about you? You at home?”</p><p>“Yup! Just got in. Well, I won’t keep you since you’re alright! Talk to you later!”</p><p>You hung up and caught Yaku staring at you questioningly. “The guy from Fukurodani. He asked me to text him and I totally forgot.”</p><p>“Don’t tell me you’re going to adopt him, too,” Yaku sighed. “Do we really need another guy that loud?”</p><p>You tossed an empty wrapper at him. “You act like such a grump but I know you’re happy I’m making friends.”</p><p>Yaku shot you a weak smile, knowing that you’d never let him live it down if he denied it. “Fine, you’re right. Can I have one of those melon bars in the freezer?”</p><p>“Knock yourself out.”</p><p>True to your word, you did spend the next few days compiling the story. Aiko had texted you a few times to hang out. You made up some generic excuses to get her out of your hair. You did feel bad for ghosting her. You just didn’t want to take away too much time from getting everything out of the way.</p><p>After reading and re-reading the thing at least a thousand times, you forwarded it to Mr. Dobashi to be proofread. He promised he would take his time to review it and then get back to you as soon as he could.</p><p>“Are you sure you can’t? I haven’t seen you all break! I found this really cute store and they give discounts if you bring a friend and take a picture for their wall.”</p><p>You sighed, guilt already gnawing at your insides. “I’m sorry, Aiko. Rain check, okay? I’ve really got to take care of some stuff at home.”</p><p>“Okayyy, but you’d better hang out with me at least once before summer is over!”</p><p>You hung up and stared at your recent call log. You were still waiting for Mr. Dobashi to contact you. He told you last night that he had reviewed your work He wanted to talk about it instead of just sending you the document back. You fully expected him to call, text or want to video chat.</p><p>You were wrong on all counts.</p><p>The phone rang and you nearly dropped it before you picked up. “Hello?”</p><p>He greeted you, nonchalant. “Do you have some time? I’d like to meet in person. We need to discuss the layout of the story in the paper and having visuals in real-time is best.”</p><p>You chewed on your lower lip. “Uh, yeah. Sure. Where did you want to meet?”</p><p>“I’ll text you the address.”</p><p>You managed to change out of your pajamas, ones you’d been wrapped up in for the past couple of days, and into something a little more flattering. You combed through your hair and went through your usual beauty routine. It wasn’t that you were getting dolled up, but you felt like you had to put in more effort to be regarded as just as feminine as any one of your peers.</p><p>Mr. Dobashi wanted to meet up at an apartment complex, judging by what your GPS told you. You were’t sure why. Maybe it was just a landmark that was easy for him to find you. You didn’t think much of it, stepping onto the bus and peering at the cityscape with your thoughts a jumbled mess. You really hoped you did an okay job.</p><p>You lingered outside of the building, trying to keep out of the way while remaining visible to anyone walking by. You didn’t want anyone calling you out for being suspicious, especially considering this place was fancy as hell. There was a doorman and everything. You leaned against the wall and tried to normalize your breathing so your heart rate would drop down.</p><p>“There you are.”</p><p>You glanced up and saw Mr. Dobashi. You were somewhat surprised to see him in casual attire. He traded his collared, button-up shirt and slacks for a form-fitting white t-shirt and faded blue jeans. He looked much younger this way. Not as professional, though his aura was just as intimidating.</p><p>“Before we go somewhere to talk, I have something for you.” His eyes trailed over to the nearby building. “It’s in my apartment. I’m sorry I forgot to bring it down, otherwise I wouldn’t ask. I remembered halfway down but didn’t want to keep you waiting.”</p><p>You shifted. You weren't sure how to word this without causing offense. “Uh…I can just wait down here while you go and grab it.”</p><p>His expression was flat. You weren’t sure what to make of it. “I appreciate the fact that you have a good head on your shoulders. I promise you this is important.”</p><p>You were scared. He was your teacher. Even if you weren’t in school, he did hold a certain semblance of authority over you. He wasn’t bound by the safe walls of the classroom out here. You hesitated to answer. You really didn’t want to believe that he was a creep. Not when you were always so impressed with how he brushed off the other girls.</p><p>You fumbled with your phone and nodded, not wanting to keep arguing on the street. Maybe it was stupid of you. Maybe you should’ve just hightailed it home. But you didn’t want to destroy the working relationship you had. If he tried anything, you could leave. In fact, you’d follow him to his place, but you wouldn’t go in. If he still made a fuss, you would bolt for the elevator.</p><p>The doorman tipped his hat and greeted Mr. Dobashi, not sparing you a glance.</p><p>You headed inside the building with him, surprised to see how much larger it was inside. There was a secretary at the front desk. She was already on the phone and simply waved at you, twirling a lock of her glossy hair as she milked the hell out of her customer service voice. A few businessmen lingered in the lounge, sipping at coffee and discussing how they could further take advantage of their workers to heighten profits. The air inside was cool and a welcome break from the intense heat outside.</p><p>Mr. Dobashi held his key fob against the elevator panel and it blinked to life. How did he afford this on a teacher’s salary? Was Hanagasaku Academy really all that generous?</p><p>He lived on the tenth floor. If you needed to bolt down the fire escape, that was manageable. Mostly because you trusted your adrenaline. You headed down the freshly waxed floors to the giant door that led into his apartment.</p><p>He opened it up and held the door for you. You didn’t budge.</p><p>He exhaled. “I know how this must look. I just needed you to see something in my apartment without wanting to invite you outright. Forgive me for my deception, but I truly think you’ll find this worthwhile.”</p><p>You planted your feet to the ground. “So you lied about needing to give me something?”</p><p>“Not necessarily. If you don’t trust me…well. Wait here. I’ll be right back.”</p><p>He disappeared inside. You wanted to take off, but you were going to hear him out. There were a few people talking at the end of the hall. The cleaning service and a resident, it sounded like. You could rush over there if you needed to.</p><p>The door opened back up and Mr. Dobashi tried to hand you something. You looked down at the figurine in his hand and paled.</p><p>“Why do you have that?” you asked, voice shaking. It was a fat little tanuki. No doubt the exact same one that your grandma had on her mantelpiece all those years ago.</p><p>Mr. Dobashi’s face softened. “So I was right. You are her granddaughter. I suspected. I didn’t want to invade your privacy by looking into your records.”</p><p>You were still confused. “You could’ve just asked me. Why go through all of this secrecy?”</p><p>“I was embarrassed.” He was quick to admit it, at least. “I didn’t want to approach you in school. I understand that the other students are quick to make assumptions with how much time we spend together since we’re in the same club.”</p><p>“How did you know Grandma?”</p><p>He chuckled. “I have some pictures that could answer that. Please come in.”</p><p>You wandered inside the room and tried to ignore the luxury of his place. What you were interested in was a series of photos that lined his fireplace. He stood near one of them and beckoned for you to come over.</p><p>“Your grandmother was a very kind woman. She was my English teacher when I was in junior high school. I was a little bit of a wild child and most of them gave up on me. But she didn’t.” He grabbed the frame and passed it along to you. You immediately recognized her face, albeit much younger, as she stood with her class of smiling children. “I tried to run away once during winter break and she found me. She could have called my parents to come and pick me up. She let me stay with her instead. My parents were on a business trip and didn’t know any better. She took care of me.”</p><p>You saw another picture of the two of them together. This one was at a high school graduation ceremony.</p><p>“She and I wrote to each other over the years. I kept in touch with her in college. I wanted to become a teacher just like her. I know that sounds silly. I’m not particularly good with children, let alone teenaged girls, but I want to be.”</p><p>Everything fell into place. You were visibly relieved that this was the reason why he insisted on bringing you up here, even if he was a little creepy about it.</p><p>“When she died, I was overseas and couldn’t make it to her funeral. I was devastated.”</p><p>“It was really sudden.” Your voice was soft. “She died the day that I took my entrance exams for high school. I lived with her during my breaks, too.”</p><p>“She was a great woman. I thought of her as my own mother at times. She was far more present in my life than my own was.” He offered you the tanuki figurine again. “Her birthday came around one year and I had no idea. I went to the fair and won a set of matching figurines. When she looked at it, she just laughed. To this day I have no idea why.”</p><p>“Neither do I.” That got a chuckle out of you, too. “I always wondered. I’m sorry they can’t be reunited. The one she had, I put it with her when she was cremated.”</p><p>Mr. Dobashi sighed. “That’s alright. I wanted you to have it. If it can’t be with its partner, then at least you can have it as your own keepsake. So you won’t ever forget what it looked like.”</p><p>“I did want the other one. I couldn’t bring myself to keep it,” you murmured. “So…thank you. This is really nice. Are you sure you want me to have it?”</p><p>“Yes. She asked me to hold onto it as a good luck charm. She said that once I achieved my dream, I should return it to her.”</p><p>You were touched to know that she had improved someone’s life so much in her years on this earth. Both of you settled into comfortable silence.</p><p>“I know that I’m your teacher and there has to be boundaries between us. I can’t afford to treat you differently in class. I suppose sometimes I cover up my fondness for you with a little bit of harsh behavior. I don’t want the others targeting you.”</p><p>You shrugged. “It doesn’t matter much to me. They already see me as an outsider.”</p><p>You talked for a little while longer before he suggested that you stop by a nearby café to discuss the story. You almost asked him why you couldn’t just do it in his apartment, but you knew that wouldn’t be appropriate at all. You just being here now would’ve given the wrong impression.</p><p>With the figurine tucked safely in your purse, the two of you settled down at the place he suggested. There was a patio with lots of shade where you could talk. You ordered a drink and so did he.</p><p>“The story itself is great. I was surprised when reading it. For someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy volleyball, it was easy for me to understand the basic terminology. You translated the team’s passion well. I especially liked the blurbs about several of the players.”</p><p>You traced your finger along the rim of the glass, the condensation bubbling up on the tip of it. “Yeah, one of them was pretty insistent he be featured. It was a nice experience. Thank you for giving me the opportunity.”</p><p>“Sure. Now, let’s discuss some of the sequencing.”</p><p>Once you got down to business, the rest of your time together flew by. You took what he said seriously. As much as you hated constructive criticism, a lot of what he pointed out made sense to you. Even though you initially did this for Aiko’s sake, you had met several people from Fukurodani who you didn’t want to let down.</p><p>“I’ll edit this and have it to you as soon as I can.” You went into your purse to fish out some money for the drinks you had and he stopped you.</p><p>“I already paid for it.”</p><p>“What, do you own this place or something?” you joked. When he didn’t refute it right away, your eyes widened. “Wait, seriously?”</p><p>“No.” He laughed. “I have a tab here that I pay at the end of the week.”</p><p>“Jeez. You scared me.”</p><p>You got up from your table and he walked you to the bus station. You were much more confident going home than you were coming out here. It was a lot later in the day by the time you were done, so the sun was much stronger, causing droplets of sweat to bead at your hairline. You sucked in a deep breath and then exhaled, shoulders drooping down.</p><p>“Thank you for the gift. I’ll make sure to put it on her memorial.”</p><p>Mr. Dobashi paused. “I know this is a little strange, but would you mind if I stopped by in the near future? I’d really like to take a look at her home. It’s been years since I’ve been there, so I know it won’t be the same as in my memories. I’d love some pictures.”</p><p>“Yeah, sure. That’s where I’m staying now, actually.”</p><p>“By yourself?” He looked mildly uncomfortable.</p><p>“Technically yes. It’s closer to the school than my parents’ house. But I have friends over all the time, so I’m really only by myself for a little while before bed.”</p><p>“Well, you should be careful. Remember what I told you about that pervert some weeks back? They never did catch him.”</p><p>You almost laughed and somehow managed to hold it in. “Will do.”</p><p>You waved at him before boarding the bus, settling into your seat. The rest of the night was spent working on the corrections he suggested, tweaking everything until it was just right.</p><p>By the end of the break, the story was finished. You’d submitted it to Mr. Dobashi for one more review before you sent it to the newspaper club at Fukurodani. You would also run the story in your school paper, except you'd add a few lines about contacting Aiko in case anyone was interested in starting a club.</p><p>Funnily enough, Aiko actually didn’t message you at all. You were so busy working you hadn’t realized that you never did get to hang out with each other as planned. You did try to text her a few times. She never responded. You didn’t think much of it since she was probably mad at you for blowing her off so much. Hell, you would be.</p><p>Fukurodani’s newspaper club was quick to let you know that they loved the story. They kept you on the phone for nearly an hour singing praises. You couldn’t keep count of how many times you let them know that it was your pleasure. They would print it off as soon as classes were back in session.</p><p>You were exhausted and dragged yourself through the school gates on your first day back. You’d stayed up texting Kuroo and Kenma memes, then Bokuto had spammed you with a bunch of pictures of himself while asking you which one looked best for his social media profile. You and Yaku went back and forth on plans for dinner with your parents. It was just a crazy night.</p><p>You settled down into the classroom chair and perked up when you saw Aiko. You were so excited about the story. You wanted to tell her. You figured it would be a nice surprise, especially since you’d been keeping it a secret for this long.</p><p>“Hey!” you called out to her. “Sorry we didn’t get to meet up over break.”</p><p>She didn’t respond. You called her name, thinking maybe she hadn’t heard you. She simply dropped her bag to the ground and slipped into her seat, eyes focused ahead.</p><p>“Um…are you okay?”</p><p>Aiko turned her head towards you and shot you the iciest glare you’d ever seen on her face. It was enough for you to recoil.</p><p>“Don’t talk to me,” she hissed, fingers gripping the edge of the desk hard enough that her knuckles went white. “I don’t want anything to do with you.”</p><p>Whoa. What the hell? You opened your mouth to say something. The anger simmering in her gaze was almost painful. You reared back and stared ahead at the board. Fear trickled down your back. What had you done wrong?</p><p>You spent the rest of the morning in a daze. Aiko was always the lighthearted and good-natured one. You must have really hurt her feelings by blowing her off. You deserved it, sure. You weren’t exactly the best friend she needed. You constantly shrugged off her affections. You really didn’t know how else to make things right, save for letting her see how much you appreciated her through the advertisement for a new team.</p><p>She didn’t eat with you at lunch. You didn’t even spot her in the cafeteria at all. You settled in with the rest of the club members and searched for her in the crowd. You checked your phone, maybe hoping deep down this was all an elaborate prank. No such thing. When you did manage to catch sight of her in the halls before classes picked up, she turned heel and headed the other way.</p><p>You couldn’t take it anymore. You were on the verge of tears. As class ended for the day, you were quick to approach her desk as the rest of the girls filed out.</p><p>“Aiko, are you mad at me?”</p><p>She scoffed. “You’re pathetic. I told you to leave me alone and now you’re playing the victim card?”</p><p>“Please. I don’t know what’s going on.” You swallowed thickly. “Can we at least talk about it? I can’t fix things if I don’t know what I did.”</p><p>The corners of her lips pulled down into a harsh frown. “You really want me to say it? Fine.” She pushed back her seat with an immense amount of strength. She grabbed her bag and stormed out of the room. You did your best to chase after her, letting her lead you both to the back doors of the school where you could talk without any prying eyes.</p><p>Aiko whipped around to face you. She had no sympathy for you. “I know,” she ground out, words acidic and hanging in the air. “I know that you’ve been cheating on Kuroo.”</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>dun dun DUN</p><p>serious question for y'all - would you prefer i update weekly (as i am now) but have somewhat shorter chapters for a while? as in like ~5k or less. i cranked this out in 3 days and almost died. jk. but if you want longer updates, i can always try to upload twice per month instead. please let me know.</p><p>have a great week! thanks for all your lovely comments and such!</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Good and Bad Intentions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aiko's accusation won't be without consequences.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hey y'all - this chapter has a little more Drama™ than usual, so if you read/see something that makes you uncomfy and you'd like me to tag it, PLEASE let me know!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I know that you’ve been cheating on Kuroo.”</p><p>To say that you were speechless was an understatement. It took a good while for you to process those words. You heard them, of course, but they seemed to sit in your ears without any meaning attached to them whatsoever. By the time your brain switched back on and derived a conclusion on how you should react, you couldn’t even articulate how confused and hurt you were.</p><p>“Aiko, what are you talking about?”</p><p>Her upper lip curled in disgust. “You really thought that when I found out, I would be okay with it? We may have been friends, but that ended once you betrayed not only my trust, but his! How could you do that to him?”</p><p>“I literally have no idea what you’re talking about,” you reiterated. “Who the hell do you think I’m cheating on Tetsurou with? I would never do that to him. Ever.”</p><p>“Yeah, okay.” She dug into her bag and unlocked her phone, thrusting the high definition picture in your face. “Then what’s this?”</p><p>You frowned when you saw what she’d done. It was a crisp, clear snapshot of you and Mr. Dobashi standing outside of his apartment complex. You could see the previews of the next few shots near the scrollbar at the bottom. It looked like she’d taken several more of you heading inside, then coming back out, and even you settling down at the café together. The last one looked like it was when you spoke together at the bus stop when you parted ways.</p><p>“Are you fucking kidding me? You’re an idiot!” You snapped. Anger rushed through and replaced any remnants of fear and anxiety you held. “I was with him working on a project meant for <em>you!</em> I’ve been working on it all summer break!”</p><p>“What a lame excuse. You expect me to believe that? I know you think I’m stupid, okay?! I can just see it on your face whenever I try to hang out with you. I respected you a lot, but this is something I can’t stand for. You’re a horrible person. You think that you’re so high and mighty, constantly judging people like they’re beneath you, shoving aside anyone who doesn’t interest you. You barely put any effort into your relationships, Kuroo included! You’re so busy looking down on others that you don’t even realize how much people dislike you for it!”</p><p>Your hands curled into fists and the edge of your nails bit into your palms. “Aiko, in the beginning I wanted you to leave me alone. But I thought we were getting closer. I spent the last few days at a summer training camp just to gather enough evidence to write an article so people would want to start a volleyball team! Because I didn’t know how else to help!”</p><p>You two weren’t trying to keep your conversation down anymore. The field was empty, the flowers shifting in the gentle wind, but the idyllic scenery couldn’t soften the crushing atmosphere around you. Far in the distance you heard the echoes of your classmates. Neither of you were interested in checking to see if they were coming closer.</p><p>Aiko barked out a laugh, her usually upbeat features twisted into something vengeful and ugly. “So that’s it, huh? All for me? After all this time ignoring me and I’m supposed to believe that it was for my benefit? You and Dobashi aren’t even trying to keep it a secret. He calls on you all the time during class, he helps you clean up afterwards, he’s always out of his office looking for you. All of the other girls knew what was going on and I defended you. I told them there was no way you could do that. And then what? I ask you to hang out, but you say you’re busy? With Dobashi at his apartment? You two were on a date!”</p><p>She wasn’t listening to you. You didn’t even know how to appeal to her rationale when she was like this. “We weren’t on a date. I <em>told</em> you. I was working on the article. He wanted to go over it with me because I wanted it to be perfect. I went into his apartment because he told me that he knew my grandmother, he was her student when he was a kid. He showed me pictures and that was it.”</p><p>Her lower lip trembled. “You really have this entire lie down to a pat, don’t you? You’re a writer, I know how easy it is for you to make something up. I wanted to trust you. I wanted to believe you. But hearing you now…I’m just disgusted with you. Kuroo deserves to know about this. I already sent him the pictures.”</p><p>To say you were enraged was an understatement. She involved Kuroo in this without even having the facts straight. You couldn’t imagine how hurt and confused he was by all of this. You wanted to wrap your hands around her throat and strangle her.</p><p>“You didn’t think I would, did you?” She showed you evidence of their conversation. It didn’t look like Kuroo had responded, but he had definitely seen them. The read receipt said it all.</p><p>You struggled to keep upright and not drop down to the ground. “You know what? Nothing I say is going to change your mind. I…I did the article for you, as my best friend. I told everyone that. I’m sorry I’ve been such a shitty friend, okay? I know that I can be a bitter bitch with an attitude problem. But Aiko, you know how much I love Tetsurou. We’ve been friends forever. I…would <em>never</em> do that to him. Especially not with a teacher; that’s disgusting.”</p><p>Her hardened gaze didn’t waver. “But you did. The evidence doesn’t lie. As far as I’m concerned, our friendship is over. Don’t talk to me anymore. And I seriously hope you consider telling Kuroo the truth <em>and</em> breaking it off with him.”</p><p>She turned to walk away. You stared at her back. Her hair swayed just as much as her hips did without her even trying. She had everything that you didn’t. A shining personality, good looks, a kind heart, and despite her air-headedness she got into one of the top academies in the nation.</p><p>“Before you go, please tell me one thing.”</p><p>She heeded your call and paused, angling her body towards you so you could see her flat, neutral expression.</p><p>“I’m not perfect like you, Aiko. You’re a social butterfly, you talk with someone and win them over with your smile and charm. You get attention from anyone you could ever want. People’s heads turn when you go by. I’m different than you. I don’t look like you. I could never be who you are. You have all of these things that I don’t…so why are you trying to take away the only thing I <em>do</em> have?”</p><p>You knew what the answer was. You wanted to hear it straight from her. She closed her eyes before opening them, fixating on you.</p><p>“You don’t deserve him. You never did.”</p><p>Moments later, you gathered your shoes at your locker and shoved the slippers away. You could hear the giggles and whispers surround you as other students filed in. No one approached you. You were thankful for that, at least. You watched your body work mechanically as you gathered the rest of your things, wanting to get off campus as soon as possible.</p><p>You followed the path to the front gate and lingered near the entrance when you realized Kuroo wasn’t there. He didn’t have practice today, you knew that for a fact. He was never late in picking you up. You grabbed your phone out of your bag and peered at the lockscreen, hoping with all of your might that there would be a notification from him apologizing about not being able to make it.</p><p>There wasn’t one.</p><p>You leaned against the concrete wall, trying to sink into the shadows as much as you could. Minutes ticked on. Girls exited through the driveway as they were carted off by their chauffeurs. A few groups decided to head down to the local haunt, a club that never bothered to check their IDs. They would change in the public bathroom right down the street. It was still early, so they would probably grab something to eat first, then hit a few bars.</p><p>You didn’t bother checking your phone. You gripped onto it tightly. It didn’t even buzz once. Your chest tightened when you realized that all of the students were gone except for you. Since it was the beginning of fall the sun sank earlier than usual. You were greeted by the streetlights flickering on one by one, beckoning you to the path that led to the bus stop. You didn’t move.</p><p>A car headed down the road and slowed to a crawl once it passed you. You hadn’t realized that the blacked out window rolled down until you saw a familiar set of striking eyes.</p><p>“What are you doing out here?” Mr. Dobashi asked, voice thick with concern. “You’re going to catch a cold if you just stand there all night.”</p><p>“I’m fine. With all due respect, sir, I think it’s better if you just kept going. I don’t want anyone else getting the wrong idea.”</p><p>He didn’t seem bothered by your words, which told you he was aware of the rumors going around school. If Aiko didn’t tell your classmates, they must have found out with your screaming match from earlier. You refused to look at him.</p><p>“Fine. But at least go to the bus stop in the next few minutes while there’s still some light out. Please.”</p><p>You nodded at him. He wasn’t satisfied, but pulled off anyway. You watched his beaming taillights disappear over the dark horizon before setting your gaze straight ahead.</p><p>Kuroo would’ve been home by now. Kenma was no doubt with him. Kuroo would show him the texts and the two of them would talk about it at one of their houses. You knew that Kenma was your friend, too. You didn’t want him caught in the middle. You didn’t want to put him in an awkward position by contacting him.</p><p>You thought about it. You could just wander around aimlessly until it was late enough for you to go home just to sleep. You were trapped between wanting to be alone and wanting to be comforted. You were hungry and exhausted from everything that went down earlier. You hadn’t cried when Aiko confronted you. Now realizing you had been abandoned outright by the two people you cared about the most, you broke down into quiet sobs. No one was around to hear it.</p><p>Your phone vibrated. You glanced down to check it out. It was from Kenma. <em>Where are you?</em> is all it said.</p><p>You typed out your response. <em>At home</em>, you lied. He wouldn’t have a way to verify if you were telling the truth or not.</p><p>
  <em>Do you mind if I come over?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sorry. I’m already in bed. Goodnight, Kenma.</em>
</p><p>You really didn’t want him to drag you home and have to listen to your side of the story. You were sure he was already overwhelmed with anything Kuroo told him. You scrolled down your contact list and saw Kuroo’s name and picture. You wanted to talk to him, but it was clear he didn’t feel the same way.</p><p>The screen flashed as an incoming call came. You thought for sure it would be Kenma. It wasn’t. The person calling you would keep doing so until you answered, since that was how it’d been for the past few days. You reluctantly accepted it, already holding the receiver far from your ear in anticipation.</p><p>“Hey! It’s Bokuto! The club told me the article is gonna be released tomorrow! I’m going to buy like a hundred copies!”</p><p>You didn’t say anything. Most of the time he was content on rambling to himself.</p><p>“Except Yukippe told me that they don’t charge money for it. They should! Especially with writing as good as yours. I haven’t read it yet, but I just know it’ll be great!”</p><p>“Thanks, Bokuto.”</p><p>It was dead silent on his end. The call must have dropped. You peered at the timer and it told you that no, he was still connected.</p><p>“What’s the matter?” He stammered. “You don’t sound good. You sound upset. Are you okay?”</p><p>“Yeah,” you laughed, cursing yourself for allowing your voice to shake despite your attempts to placate him. “I’m just tired.”</p><p>He didn’t buy it. “You sound like you’re still outside. It’s really late. Are you by yourself? You shouldn’t be.”</p><p>You shrugged your shoulders and let your eyes drift toward the pitch black sky. “I’ll be fine. Thanks for worrying, though.”</p><p>“No way! I’m not hanging up until you tell me where you are.” You could hear something banging in the background and a cry of pain. He must have stubbed his toe or something. Fabric rustled and it gave you a clear picture that he was dressing up so he could go back out. “If you don’t tell me, then I’m gonna call Kuroo!”</p><p>“Wait. No. Please, don’t.” You didn’t want Bokuto involved in this even if he insisted. “I’m still at school.”</p><p>“But the school closed like an hour ago?”</p><p>“I’m just…at the gates.”</p><p>He didn’t ask you why. The door clicked on his end and you heard his steps echo as he started his way through his neighborhood. His pace was much faster than you thought it would be judging by the hard thump of his sneakers against the concrete sidewalk. “Okay, I’ll be right there. Just give me like ten minutes! Start counting!”</p><p>“Uh…there’s no way the bus can get here that fast, even if you live right by the stop. Bokuto, it’s fine, I’ll just head home.”</p><p>His breathing got slightly more labored. “Don’t worry about it, I’m just running! It’s good anyways, it gives me a workout! I’m going to stay on the line until I get there, just to make sure that you’re okay, so don’t hang up!”</p><p>For the next few minutes, Bokuto babbled on about whatever came to mind. He tore through his neighborhood and down several streets, a few haphazard apologies to any pedestrians he almost mowed down. He made idle conversation about things he observed on his way, like a broken stoplight or how some guy down the street nearly lost his shoe by tripping over the curb. He didn’t mind that you kept quiet the entire time.</p><p>You tried your best to pull yourself together, knowing you probably looked awful given your pity party just a few minutes earlier. It didn’t take long before you could hear his voice booming in the distance, the sight of his tall hair bobbing up and down into view.</p><p>Relief flashed across his face when he saw you. He didn’t look or sound winded at all. “Thanks for waiting! Did you time me?!”</p><p>You shook your head. He hung up his phone and approached you, silver brows furrowed.</p><p>“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk, but we should at least get something to eat. You’ve been here the whole time, right? Uh…I know! There’s this Korean barbecue place that’s really good. Come on!” He started down the street and looked over his shoulder. “I promise it’s worth it! Oh, wait!” He rushed back and snatched your bag out of your hands before you could even protest. “This is heavy, right? Don’t worry, I’ve got it!”</p><p>You trailed after Bokuto to the restaurant he raved about. You had to admit, you were starving. Even though you didn’t feel like eating, the variety of smells when you entered the place really tried to change your mind. The lights were dimmed enough to create a cozy atmosphere. It must have been family owned, because towards the back you heard children giggling and a less than enthusiastic rendition of “Sakura” played on a piano.</p><p>Bokuto’s calf jiggled when he tapped his foot up and down, staring at the menu with sharp eyes. “Ohhh! They have different sauces! We could get one of each and share!”</p><p>You pointed to something random on the somewhat sticky menu just to give the waitress a reason to leave you alone. Bokuto chugged his glass of water and slammed the cup down, fingers tapping on the edge of the table.</p><p>“I’m glad I called and that you picked up! It’s a school night, so we’ll have to take you home right after we eat. I have practice tomorrow, so…sorry I can’t stay longer.”</p><p>You sighed. “Bokuto. I appreciate you picking me up. I just…I want to tell you what’s going on, but it’s all still really…hitting me right now. No one believes my side of the story and I don’t want you to think any less of me.”</p><p>He cocked his head and gave a slow blink. His sharp yellow irises coupled with the motion really did remind you of an owl. “I don’t know what happened, but I know you’re a good person. You really listened to me when I talked about volleyball. Lots of people think it’s annoying. You stood up for me and gave great advice! I made more friends because of you. It was my first camp and it was a lot of fun.”</p><p>Bokuto was so naïve. He was warm and sunny, he didn’t need someone like you intervening so he could make friends. He could’ve done it on his own with a bit more time.</p><p>“I’m scared of what you’ll say,” you admitted, tears welling up in your eyes. “My best friend didn’t believe me and now Tetsurou’s mad at me. Everyone at school is talking behind my back and I didn’t do anything wrong.”</p><p>The poor waitress, who had come up with your plates right as the waterworks started, timidly set your food down before darting off to give you some privacy.</p><p>Bokuto nodded, like he understood, but he had no idea how severe your problems really were. “I promise I’ll hear you out! But only if you eat a little bit.”</p><p>You picked up your chopsticks and did as he asked. The tanginess of the sauce he chose was comforting in its own way. Concentrating on blowing the steam wafting from the fresh meal, taking tentative bites between, you found your tears drying. It was a good distraction. He knew what he was doing when he asked you to go for it.</p><p>Bokuto cleared his plate in no time despite the mounds of meat piled high on top of it. He let out a grunt of appreciation in-between bites, pleased with what he’d ordered.</p><p>You took a break as your appetite waned, fingers pinching the nearby napkin so you could wipe away any remnants from your face.</p><p>“You know I wanted to do the article…for my friend…” you started. “Our homeroom teacher is our club advisor. He was the one who gave me the opportunity in the first place. I…I’d been working with him all semester on stuff. I wasn’t sure why he kept singling me out. But then we met up the other day to talk about corrections on the story. I found out he knew my grandmother and showed me pictures of them in his apartment. We went over everything at the café and, well, then I went home. But…Aiko…my friend…she saw us together and she’s convinced that the two of us are seeing each other. Like, dating.”</p><p>He scratched at the side of his head. “Is that all?”</p><p>“Yeah. Except…she took pictures of us together and sent them to Tetsurou. He didn’t pick me up from school. I know he’s mad at me. Now the whole school thinks I’m dating my own teacher and everyone hates me.”</p><p>“What are the pictures of?”</p><p>“Me and him at his apartment complex. Going in, coming out, then going to the café.”</p><p>Bokuto put his fist against his cheek to support the weight of his head as he leaned on the table. “But why would Kuroo be mad at you? You said you’re not dating, so you’re not.”</p><p>“Because it looks bad. We were outside of school and went to his own home. I was a little scared of going inside but nothing happened. He just showed me pictures. That’s all.”</p><p>“Well,” Bokuto hummed. “It was summer break, so it makes sense that you couldn’t meet at school. Especially since the article was due so soon! If you were dating your teacher, it’d be dumb to go out on public dates like that. It doesn’t make sense at all. But the most important thing is, you said you weren’t! So your friends should trust you. I do.”</p><p>“You <em>do</em>?” You couldn’t even find the words to thank him. “Really?”</p><p>“Yep! I’m not a good liar,” he admitted sheepishly. “I don’t think it’s right that your friend told other people and also Kuroo. Did she say why?”</p><p>You sighed. “She…likes him. As in…more than friends.”</p><p>“Oh…” Bokuto looked even more uncomfortable than you felt. “But you’re dating and you’re happy. If she really liked him, wouldn’t she want <i>him</i> to be happy? Telling him this stuff without you there isn’t fair.”</p><p>“It’s not. I don’t know. I never thought she’d do something like this.”</p><p>The two of you lingered in silence for a little while, but Bokuto stood up suddenly, causing nearby patrons to jolt in their seats. “Be right back.”</p><p>You saw him head toward the register and pay for your meals. You wanted to argue, but you already knew that he would just brush it off.</p><p>When Bokuto returned, he deposited several candies in your hand from the cashier. You fumbled with the crinkling plastic wrapper before you popped it into your mouth. You couldn’t resist; it was your favorite flavor. He probably didn’t even know that, but the gesture warmed your heart anyway.</p><p>He picked your bag up from the floor and grinned. “Let’s go! I’ll walk you home.”</p><p>You and Bokuto talked about a lot of nothing, mostly. He was a good friend. Even if you didn’t know each other for that long, he was willing to hear you out and give you the benefit of the doubt. When he told you that he believed in you, you knew he was being genuine. He wore his heart on his sleeve and he wasn’t afraid to show it. It was admirable.</p><p>You stood in front of your house and couldn’t bring yourself to go inside. Bokuto had his hands on his hips and squinted in the darkness to try and make out its appearance.</p><p>“Thanks for dinner. And for listening to what I had to say.” You bowed your head in gratitude. “I’m going to talk to Tetsurou about all of this…as soon as I can. As soon as he’ll listen. Um…I know you probably want to call him and tell him my side of the story, but it’s better if I do it myself.”</p><p>“Got it.” He mock saluted. “If you need anything, just let me know. I wasn’t joking when I said you’re a good person. No one deserves to feel lonely like that. I’ll let you know when I get home.”</p><p>You watched him swivel around and stomp down the street, in his own little world. You saw Bokuto a little differently now. Sure, you’d known that he was kind of silly and kind of forward when it came to his new friendship with you. But honestly? If someone with a heart as big as his saw good in you, then maybe you were doing something right. You were lucky to have met him.</p><p>Given everything that happened, you did end up crashing out as soon as your head hit the pillow. Not before making sure Bokuto texted you that he got home safe, though. It looked like that would be a routine from now on.</p><p>You’d set you alarm about half an hour earlier than usual for the next school day. It gave you a chance to leave the house before Kenma could stop by to accompany you on the ride, as was your routine. You knew he would act like everything was normal. Kuroo? Not so much. You still hadn’t received any texts from him. Not that you expected any since you two didn’t have time to talk. Unless you met after school, you wouldn’t, either.</p><p>You were already gone by the time the two of them would be waking up. You caught the bus and made your way to campus, thankfully the first one in the classroom. You knew that the rest of the girls in the class would hound you given the opportunity. You couldn’t bring it in yourself to care. You needed to numb yourself from the inside out. You needed to tell yourself that things would be settled once Kuroo and Aiko just sat down and listened to you.</p><p>You heard footsteps near the doorway and saw a familiar-looking woman. The headmaster! She zeroed in on you and you tried to suppress the shudder that threatened to slink down your spine. She was refined and had the no-nonsense look down to a tee. The crisp suit jacket, ironed pencil skirt and sharp stilettos made it apparent that she was someone who took their appearance seriously, and for good reason, too.</p><p>“Miss. Please come with me.”</p><p>You sighed and got up, stuffing your bag into your desk. You didn’t want anyone rifling through it or putting something nasty in there. You wouldn’t put it past your classmates.</p><p>The trek to her office was eerily quiet. Her heels clicked against the freshly waxed floors as she guided you to the end of the hall. As bright and sunny as it was outside, the changing leaves raining down from the trees in the nearby garden did little to ease your melancholy.</p><p>You entered the room and Mr. Dobashi was already there. Fuck. He was seated down in the plush chair directly across from her wide, cherry oak desk. You maneuvered your way around and took the chair next to him, not bothering to spare him a glance. You didn’t even bother greeting each other, both of you knowing how deep you were in.</p><p>The door clicked shut. The headmaster made sure to tug the curtains over the glass window as she made her way over to the desk.</p><p>“Mr. Dobashi,” she started, placing down some glossy printed pictures. “Would you care to tell me why you decided to meet with a student after hours, in your own home of all places?”</p><p>You wanted to interject but it would only make her angry. How did she even get those? Did Aiko bring it up to administration, too? Why would she go that far? Even so, reviewing them from here you couldn’t understand why they were such a big deal. Neither one of you were doing anything untoward. You weren’t holding hands, kissing or snuggling.</p><p>“As I told you earlier, we’ve been working on a newspaper article all summer and I wanted to speak with her in person about corrections,” Mr. Dobashi began. “Given that the story was going to run today, I knew there wouldn’t be much time in doing so within campus. As for the location…” He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “I have personal connections to this student. Her grandmother was someone who looked after me in my youth. I asked her to come up so we could discuss it in further detail. I had several pictures that I knew she would want to see, given that her grandmother is now deceased.”</p><p>She looked over at you. “Is that true? This is your chance to speak up.”</p><p>“It is.” Your voice felt so small. You knew you had to be stronger than this. “Mr. Dobashi and my grandmother were very close, but I had no idea. He has proof of that in his apartment. I was just happy to see a side of her I never knew. We only stayed in his apartment for a few minutes max before we left. He didn’t do anything inappropriate, I swear.”</p><p>The headmaster leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “I took the liberty of verifying your statements with several people, Dobashi. The school you referenced did in fact confirm that her grandmother worked there and that you were her student.” She turned her attention to you. “Your parents also informed us that they did remember him staying with your grandmother during school breaks, up until he graduated and moved on to high school.”</p><p>You couldn’t believe it. Your parents. They knew about all of this? They were interrogated? You hadn’t even thought to let them in on this. If that was the case, how far did this thing spread? Would they have told Yaku’s parents? Did Yaku know?! Your head spun and you suddenly felt sick.</p><p>“I understand your motivations, Dobashi, but this was a poor judgment call. If you had met up with her and her parents to discuss these things, then we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now. As it is, there is nothing within our guidelines or rules that you have violated. I won’t be punishing either of you, but I do expect you to keep your personal lives private. The students are already in a tizzy about this mess, and if I were to make any changes, such as separating you two, then the rumors would only grow. Neither of you are to discuss this with anyone. Let the rumor fizzle out and die.”</p><p>You were entirely grateful for her verdict, but it rang hollow considering how much trouble you narrowly avoided. Mr. Dobashi’s dream was to be a teacher. Having this in his record would no doubt devastate him. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to; you could sense the sheer amount of hurt that sank its claws into him.</p><p>“You’re both excused. Please let me know if anyone continues to harass you. I won’t hesitate to set them straight.”</p><p>Both of you stood up and exited together. Mr. Dobashi shut the door behind you. You weren’t sure what to say.</p><p>“I’m…sorry that you got caught up in this,” you murmured. “It’s my fault. It was…someone I knew that took the pictures.”</p><p>“Don’t worry about it.” He kept his voice steady despite everything. “Teenagers talk. They want drama. This is probably the most exciting thing to happen to the academy for a while. It was my own impatience that landed us here. Please know that I don’t blame you for any of this. I suppose we’ll just have to reconnect at a time when I’m no longer your teacher.”</p><p>“I guess so.”</p><p>Mr. Dobashi had some things to take care of before starting lessons for the day, so he didn’t accompany you on the way back to class. You sucked in a breath when you re-entered the room, knowing full well that a sea of eyes were on you. Aiko was in her seat. You halfway expected her to trade with someone and cause a scene. She didn’t do or say anything. You settled in and took out your supplies for the day, knowing that the pin could drop at any moment where the interrogation would begin.</p><p>No one bit. Classes started and for the next few hours you were safe.</p><p>At lunch, you checked your phone for the first time since that morning. Yaku texted you about some kind of movie he wanted to see. Bokuto wished you a good day. Kenma expressed concern that you’d left by the time he went over to check on you. Nothing from Kuroo.</p><p>You bit your lower lip. You opened up your messages and went for it.</p><p>
  <em>Tetsurou, I know that you probably don’t want to talk to me. But I need a chance to explain myself. It doesn’t have to be today. Please.</em>
</p><p>It looked like he read it right away, but still didn’t respond. You sighed in defeat.</p><p>You weren’t sure how to face the newspaper club. The story had been printed today and was widely available for everyone, which should have been a good thing. You just weren’t sure if they bought into the rumors or not. You thought about approaching them at lunch. You stood in line for your food and kept glancing back, hoping they would beckon you over.</p><p>To your utter surprise, they flagged you down as soon as you got your tray. You approached them with your back ramrod straight, halfway expecting them to snap at you.</p><p>“Hey! Sit down! We were just talking about how awesome the article was!”</p><p>You dropped into your usual spot. They were laughing and chatting like everything was normal. You couldn’t stand not knowing if this was legit or not.</p><p>“Um,” you began, “aren’t you guys going to ask me about…well…the pictures?”</p><p>They all laughed. “Are you crazy?” the president asked. “We all <em>know</em> for a fact that you would never hook up with a teacher. Mr. Dobashi is our advisor. Of course we have times where we meet up with him after class. When Aiko was over here earlier yelling ‘til she was red in the face, we just told her that she needed to chill out.”</p><p>You were floored with their support. “Oh…I’m glad to hear that.”</p><p>“Honestly, I’m more shocked she’s so adamant that it’s the truth.” The vice president sipped at her milk tea, unbothered by the chaotic atmosphere in the rest of the cafeteria. “I thought you guys were best friends. I mean, you went through all this trouble of making a personal ad in this week’s edition just for her. And it worked.”</p><p>That surprised you. “What do you mean?”</p><p>They gestured across the cafeteria. You were shocked to see that a few girls from the tennis club were chatting with Aiko. One of them mimicked spiking a ball and they all laughed. It looked like someone else was on their way to chat, too - it was Minoru’s sister, the captain of the kendo club. Her presence caused some of the girls to look awestruck as they stepped aside for her to address Aiko directly.</p><p>You weren’t sure how to feel. You’d been hoping for this outcome all along. It didn’t feel as sweet now that the two of you weren’t on speaking terms.</p><p>“Whatever is going on with her, hopefully it passes. Anyways, can I ask you about how you managed to find how many Fukurodani alumni went on to play professionally?”</p><p>For a little while, things felt normal as you chatted with your friends. That was what they were. Friends. All this time you thought they just interacted with you because they had to, but that wasn’t the case at all. They cared about you. You still halfway expected them to say “sike” and berate you for being some kind of slut. They didn’t.</p><p>“See you tomorrow!”</p><p>“Bye!”</p><p>“Hey, text me that website you used for formatting ideas, okay?”</p><p>The girls had walked with you to the front doors. They were all carpooling which meant you weren’t able to take them with you to the school entrance. You were worried about heading down there. Kuroo still hadn’t responded to your text from earlier. You wanted to believe he would be here today to pick you up.</p><p>You had to face the music. He wouldn’t be there. You’d have to walk home alone. You could find another bus that would drop you off somewhat close to your house and not risk running into him.</p><p>Except when you stepped outside towards the road, you were shocked to see a group of people waiting for you.</p><p>“There you are!” Bokuto whooped. “I was sure you hadn’t left yet! Hey guys, she’s over here!” He jumped in the air out of excitement and you weren’t sure what to be more baffled by – the height he managed to reach as he launched himself into the air, or his words themselves.</p><p>You couldn’t believe it. The entire Fukurodani volleyball club had shown up. Yukie, Kaori and Keiko were here, too. You didn’t even know what to say, especially not when they were all just grinning. They seemed so happy to see you.</p><p>“We decided to surprise you since you wouldn’t have agreed either way,” Yukie chuckled. “We’re taking you out to eat. Coach Yamiji is footing the bill, he’s already at the restaurant making sure we get a table. It was Bokuto’s idea, by the way.”</p><p>Bokuto rubbed the back of his neck, bashful at being singled out. “Well because…she deserves it!”</p><p>“I’ve never seen Bokuto turn down the chance to brag about himself. What did you to him?” Kaori joked. “Anyway, let’s go!”</p><p>“Bokuto, carry her bag.”</p><p>“You got it, Yukippe!”</p><p>You were wrapped up in their shenanigans so easily. The guys grilled you about the story and how pumped they were to be included. They ribbed each other too, about how you managed to perform a miracle and make all of them look cool (even Bokuto, one of them said, causing the others to burst into laughter).</p><p>You were in much higher spirits when you entered the restaurant. You’d gotten a large table for everyone to sit at. You should’ve known that the coach would go for a buffet since it made sense to pay a flat rate and let the boys pile on food. You felt a little bad for the restaurant. They had no idea what they were getting into when it came to Bokuto and his monstrous appetite.</p><p>You were surprised that neither Yukie nor Kaori mentioned anything about why you needed cheering up. Bokuto must not have told them what happened. That was fine with you.</p><p>For an hour or so, you forgot about all of your worries. It was just you and a group of new friends. The warm glow of the lights above you was enough to soothe your soul. You were surrounded by a ring of people who thought you were talented and worthwhile to be around. The deep thrum of conversations around the table resonated through you and it brought carefree smiles to your lips.</p><p>Everyone was stuffed and just waiting out their slight food comas before heading out. The coach told everyone they should enjoy while it lasted, because he was going to make them work hard tomorrow at practice. You thanked him again and again for letting you join in on the fun. He waved off your words and said that you were welcome to stop by practice anytime.</p><p>One by one the team members parted ways. It was down to you, Bokuto, Yukie and Kaori. The two girls were busy playing some kind of mobile game that pitted them against each other.</p><p>“Bokuto…thanks for this,” you murmured. “I really needed the distraction.”</p><p>He laughed. “Don’t worry about it! I was worried about you all day, y’know! Did Kuroo ever text you back?”</p><p>“No…he didn’t.”</p><p>“He’s way more stubborn than I thought. But don’t give up. I bet he just doesn’t know how to start, like what to say.”</p><p>“Yeah…I think so, too. You know, I was really dreading going to school today. But the article did well, my…friends in the club supported me, and…Aiko had several people talk to her today about volleyball. I did what I wanted. I just kind of wish that we were still on good terms.”</p><p>Bokuto’s mouth twisted into an uncharacteristic frown. “She should say sorry to you. Don’t let her make you feel guilty. I hope she sees how much she hurt you. Even if you have a crush on someone, it doesn’t give you the right to break up their relationship.”</p><p>“Mm.” He was surprisingly serious about this. “So wise, Bokuto. The wisest owl.” You reached up and patted his head, causing his eyes to close and a grin to spread across his face. Kaori and Yukie followed suit, all of you inflating his ego somehow even bigger than it was before.</p><p>Bokuto walked you home and you made some plans to hang out. When you opened the door, you were shocked to find Kenma sitting in the living room.</p><p>“Hey…” He all but whispered. “Sorry, I let myself in.”</p><p>“No, it’s…fine…” All of the anxieties that you thought disappeared now returned in full force. “Kenma, look, I…I don’t want you to get involved in this drama, okay? It isn’t fair to you. I don’t know what Tetsurou told you, but I’m not going to make you a messenger boy. You deserve more than that.”</p><p>He sighed. “I know. I told Kuroo to text you back. He’s just hurt.”</p><p>“I get why, but he shouldn’t be.” You swallowed hard, searching his expression. “Do you think…that what Aiko told him is true? It’s…fine if you do, I just would rather hear it now.”</p><p>Kenma’s stare made you feel so exposed. He tilted his head slightly and his usually flatlined mouth turned downward at the corners. “How could I ever think that?”</p><p>You wanted to cry because you knew he was being honest. “I don’t know. Aiko sounds really convincing. She got the entire school in on this stupid thing and I got lectured today by the headmaster.”</p><p>“Are you…going to be okay? Is she going to punish you?”</p><p>“Thankfully not.” You collapsed on the couch next to him, the tension you’d held moments before waning. “Technically we didn’t do anything wrong. She corroborated Mr. Dobashi’s story through multiple sources. Including my parents.” You forgot about them. They hadn’t called you. You would have to deal with that soon, too.</p><p>You told Kenma the whole story. You even showed him the figurine that you’d put next to her memorial photo on the mantelpiece. Kenma absorbed everything you said. He nodded and kept quiet, letting you vent, not doubting your words in the slightest.</p><p>“Kenma. I need to ask you. Why do you think that Tetsurou would even entertain this kind of thing?”</p><p>He hesitated. “Well…after she sent the texts, Aiko cornered him after school. He tried to ignore her. She was persistent. She finally dragged him out to the park and talked his ear off. A lot of it was how neglectful you were toward him. She said she’d been watching you two for a while and was upset at how he always seemed to chase after you, but you never do the same. I think she was projecting.”</p><p>You still had no clue why all of this came out now. She seemed fine just a few weeks ago. Did this incident really trigger something that deep within her? Or was her interest in you all fake? Did she keep sticking by your side only because she wanted to become closer to Kuroo?</p><p>Kenma was as meek as the day you met him, and you didn’t like it one bit. “I wanted to check up on you. I know it’s hard.”</p><p>“It’s whatever,” you lied. “I guess this is just the first fight we’ve had since…well, before we got together. I won’t push him if he’s not ready to talk.”</p><p>“That’s probably for the best.” Kenma’s head drooped while he fumbled with the loose string on his hoodie. “Do you want me to stay?”</p><p>“No…like I said…you shouldn’t have to pick sides. I’ll…be okay. I’ve got other people to rely on. I want Tetsurou to really be ready when the two of us talk.”</p><p>“That’s fair.”</p><p>Kenma excused himself not too long afterwards. You both needed to take care of homework and get to bed. You mulled over his words. So Aiko hadn’t just texted Kuroo and left it there. She actively sought him out. She prodded at his open wound and made it even worse. You thought you knew her well enough. You never thought she would be so outwardly nasty.</p><p>It was funny. If you and Kuroo were still talking, you’d be making plans to celebrate six months of being in a relationship together. Half a year full of memories and fun, eradicated in the blink of an eye from a simple text message. What a waste.</p><p>Given how you acted all those months ago when you got jealous of Aiko, you had no right to be angry with him. He was upset. He felt betrayed. He was re-evaluating your relationship and second-guessing everything. Kuroo was an outwardly confident person, someone who knew who he was and wasn't afraid of showing it. He was slippery and chaotic at times, but he was also genuine, sweet and softhearted. This kind of thing would get past those defenses of his and shake his core.</p><p>You took the plunge and called your parents. They were surprisingly relaxed about the entire thing. Your dad in particular was actually offended that they would even suggest it. Your mom made light of everyone’s reactions. They told you not to worry and that the drama would settle down eventually.</p><p>The rest of the week was more of the same. Aiko sat on the other side of the cafeteria with her new friends. You heard from the newspaper club members that they were drafting a proposal to have the volleyball club start next semester. The physical education teacher even volunteered to oversee things and coach. Aiko was surrounded by good fortune and took it in stride. She was happy. She was popular. Just like always.</p><p>Bokuto walked you home everyday. One night you were on your way and Minoru stopped to introduce himself. He insisted that he take over the job a few times during the week. You just said that Kuroo had other commitments and would until further notice. He didn’t pry.</p><p>There was an incident on a weekday spent with Kaori and Yukie when you did spy Kuroo out in public. You almost burst out crying. You felt like you had something in your throat and struggled to swallow it down. Even worse was that out of nowhere Aiko ran up to him and the two walked off together.</p><p>Were they going out now? Did this mean you and Kuroo were over? Did you break up and you didn’t even notice? Is that what this was? Were you supposed to take his radio silence as a sign that he didn’t want you anymore?</p><p>You tried not to dwell on it. You really did. You wanted to remain positive. But every day without a response from him sent those dark, niggling thoughts blooming in your brain.</p><p>Five days passed since the incident. You heard your phone vibrate against the nightstand. You had been trying to get to sleep and had to blink a few times before you realized who it was from.</p><p>
  <em>If you’re not busy tomorrow, I want to come over.</em>
</p><p>He might not have known if you were awake, but you didn’t want to wait any longer. <em>Okay,</em> you typed out. <em>I’ll be here.</em></p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>if y'all are looking for a good tsukishima fic, I highly recommend <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25029193">"the way to his heart"</a> by the ever-so talented nutmegalomania. tsukki goes from a complete narcissistic ass to ultra simp and it's a wild ride. it's a really impressive, introspective look on his trauma and defense mechanisms when it comes to relationships. one of my fav haikyuu fics hands down and it's oh-so underrated!</p><p>I love hearing from you guys, so please drop a comment if you can! it really kicks me into gear when I need to sit down and write!</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Patched Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You and Kuroo have a heart to heart. Hopefully this brings things back to normal.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this chapter has content that warranted a rating change. please let me know if you want me to tag anything in particular!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In…out.</p><p>In…out.</p><p>You exhaled one more time and let your shoulders go lax, the tension whittling away with each second passing by. Maybe it was the residual heat of the scalding shower you’d taken moments before. Maybe it was the plushness of the fresh towel as it snaked around your body, squeezing you in tight like the comforting embrace of a friend. Several droplets of water cascaded down your neck and back as the lingering steam fogged the mirror and settled in your lungs.</p><p>Kuroo would be here soon and you had no idea what you were going to say.</p><p>Of course the truth was going to be on the table first. But how could you word it in a way that didn’t sound rehearsed? Given how many times you’d repeated the same story over the week, you didn’t want its validity to be in question…especially not from Kuroo himself. He knew you so well and you thought that trust was implicit, but even he had doubts that kept him away from you for this long. That still hurt a lot.</p><p>You wondered if Kenma had talked him into it. Was Kuroo even ready to really sit down and have a conversation? Or…was he just going to use this as the final stage close the curtains on your friendship and relationship forever?</p><p>You wanted to be positive. You did. It just wasn’t sticking, no matter how many times you tried to push back those overwhelming thoughts.</p><p>You spent the rest of the morning getting ready. You weren’t even sure how to dress at this point. You opted for an oversized sweatshirt and shorts. Something comfortable so you wouldn’t be distracted with how you looked once the two of you sat down. You’d probably treat it more like a security blanket, but that was fine – so long as you were able to articulate your thoughts without any interruptions.</p><p>This whole thing was jarring. You felt out of place and weren’t sure what to do with yourself to kill the time. You ended up putting some cookies in the oven so they would be done in time for your conversation. The kettle boiled away on the stove, your hands shaking when you brought the cups down from their rightful place.</p><p>When everything was finished you arranged the snacks and drinks neatly on the table in the cozy dining room. You wanted to make sure you had enough space between you, as you didn’t want your presence to be stifling in any way. The couches, while more comfortable, held too many intimate memories. Memories that might have been too painful for him to confront while all of this was going on.</p><p>You left the door unlocked. You hoped that he would let himself in and not linger outside. Kuroo hadn’t been polite enough to knock for years. If he started now, you would probably lose it.</p><p>Much to your relief, the doorknob twisted as he let himself in. He didn’t go for his usual booming greeting. You were okay with that given the circumstances. He crossed the threshold and his towering frame came into full view. His presence was just as powerful as it always was, except one look at his face and you felt your heart clench painfully in your chest. Seeing him after all this time hurt just as much as it acted as a balm for your weary mind.</p><p>“Hey,” he muttered. He didn’t avoid eye contact and you wavered under the sharpness of his stare. “Sorry I’m a little late.”</p><p>“It’s okay…” You didn’t move from your spot near the chair and gestured to the table. “I thought we could talk over here. I made some snacks in case…well, I don’t know if you had lunch already.”</p><p>“I did, thanks.” He strode across the room. As the distance closed between you, you could only become more overwhelmed with how much you’d missed him. You weren’t sure if he felt the same way. You hoped he did.</p><p>Kuroo picked one of the chairs and pulled it away from the table. The legs scraped against the wooden floor and he winced. He knew to be gentler than that. He slunk into the seat and left his hands on his lap. He waited for you to do the same.</p><p>The two of you were directly across from one another now. You could smell the faint, familiar tang of his cologne even from your spot here. He didn’t look as good as you’d hoped. His eyes were a little redder than usual. You told yourself it was likely from poor sleep, since you hadn’t exactly gotten eight full hours, either. You could see him paw at a few new blemishes along his jaw and neck. He always did break out when he was under a lot of stress.</p><p>“Um…did you want to…I mean…” You fumbled with the sleeves of your sweatshirt, plucking at a stray piece of fabric that rebelled against the rest. “I’m not sure if…”</p><p>Kuroo’s face softened almost imperceptibly. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>He leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. “I’m an asshole.”</p><p>You’d run through this scenario about a million times in your head. You never thought he would be the one to apologize.</p><p>“Why are you saying sorry? You didn’t do anything wrong.”</p><p>“Yeah, I did.” His fingers massaged his closed eyelids. “I fucked up. I led Watanabe on.”</p><p>Now it was your turn to let the mask slip a little bit. You’d fully intended to compose yourself as long as you could, but his words were scaring you. “What are you talking about?”</p><p>“She kept inviting me out this summer, said you’d be there. Except you never showed up. At first I thought it was just bad timing or something, but it happened way more times than I thought it would. I realized she was doing it on purpose.”</p><p>You felt sick. You’d been so wrapped up in your incident with Mr. Dobashi that you hadn’t stopped to consider what Aiko had been doing on the side. “You…went out with her?”</p><p>Kuroo swallowed hard. “Not like that. You know I’d never…I mean, hell, when she told me that she liked me last month, I turned her down. I thought that was the end of it. I thought that she would give up or something. Instead she just kept making excuses and getting me alone. By the time I figured out what was going on, I didn’t know how to tell you. Then this bullshit with you and Dobashi came up and I knew it’d be too much for you.”</p><p>Static blossomed in your brain as you struggled to piece together what he told you. “You…went out on dates…with Aiko?”</p><p>“They weren’t <em>dates</em>,” Kuroo ground out. “She told me you’d be there. She said you were gonna show up, that you were running late, whatever. I kept hoping you’d show.”</p><p>You were stunned. So while you had been working hard on your article, and Aiko had been calling and texting you nonstop, it was all just to verify you would be nowhere near Kuroo. You thought her feelings for him were innocent, that she was above using underhanded tactics to get him alone. You were wrong.</p><p>“You said it happened more than once. How many times, Kuroo?”</p><p>He flinched at your use of his surname. It’d been a long time since he heard that from your lips. “Three.”</p><p>“Including a couple of days ago? Near the strip mall?”</p><p>His knuckles tightened around the edge of the table, nearly trembling with the amount of force from his squeeze. “It wasn’t like that. I was out already, she found me and followed me.”</p><p>You knew you were losing your cool. He could tell, too. “Just…give me a second. You said that she invited you out, lied to you about me being there, and you just…brushed it off? And you spent time with her anyway? It’s not like you were forced! You could’ve just left! You’re making it sound like you didn’t have a choice! But you did! If it happened the second time, why couldn’t you reach out to me and ask where I was? Why didn’t you text me to confirm plans the day before just in case? What…kind of things did you guys even do when you were hanging out without me?”</p><p>Kuroo looked like he was on the verge of tears. You couldn’t bring yourself to care. Your raised voice only heightened the tension in the room.</p><p>“We just hung out. We went to a couple of stores, grabbed something to eat. It wasn’t a date. We <strong>aren’t</strong> dating.”</p><p>“Wait. You said…you said you<em> knew</em> that she liked you.” You thought back to his words. “A month ago? What the fuck? My own best friend confessed to you and you didn’t think I needed to know about that? You know what this looks like, right? My best friend tells me that she likes you. And then conveniently, just a few weeks later, she hits you up and the two of you go out multiple times when I’m not there? While I’m busting my ass – and you <em>knew</em> I was busting my ass! – on something that I hoped would help her?”</p><p>He didn’t have anything to say. His silence enraged you.</p><p>“I spent this <em>entire week </em>freaking out because I thought you were going to dump me. That you hated me because of some stupid rumor that Aiko put out. You never once reached out to me about it. You just left me to sit here and think that our relationship was over! But this entire time, knowing that she had a crush on you, you…you let her say all that stuff about me and you just…what? Felt sorry for yourself…at home…because she made some shit up and you <em>believed her</em> over me?”</p><p>You waited. Seconds ticked on. No answer.</p><p>“I never did anything with Mr. Dobashi. Ever. He creeped me out this entire time. I was so uncomfortable with all of his attention and I never told you because I thought I was being paranoid. I met up with him once just to go over that stupid fucking article and Aiko just happens to be there watching us? You really think…I would do that to you? You’re the only guy I’ve ever had serious feelings for and it fucking sucks to know you think so little of my feelings for you that you’d believe Aiko over me!”</p><p>Kuroo looked up at you for the first time in ages. Hurt written all over his pale face. “She told me all of this stuff about how you never talked about me with her…she made me feel like I was a shitty boyfriend. Like you didn’t want me.”</p><p>“And she got what <em>she</em> wanted. Great job, Kuroo! Congrats! You successfully destroyed <em>years</em> of trust between us because some pretty girl told you to. You took her word over mine – without even giving me a chance to explain.”</p><p>All of this was just…pathetic. You spent hours mulling over how to make it right to him. How to apologize, how to keep him from getting upset and hurt. It was all for nothing. This entire time you were guilt-tripping yourself and wallowing in your own misery. You never thought, in a million years, that you would be wasting your time working up the courage to apologize to someone who betrayed you and lied by omission.</p><p>You stood up and placed your palms flat on the surface of the table. The tea and cookies were cold. Looking at them made you feel sick. You stormed past him and, despite the hot, stinging tears welling in the corners of your eyes, opened your mouth to speak.</p><p>“I’m…I’m going into my room now. Just lock the door on your way out.”</p><p>You headed down the hallway and he stood up behind you. You weren’t sure if he tried to call out or reach for you because all you could hear was the thrumming of your heartbeat in your ears. The muscles near your temples tightened and a searing headache burst between both of your eyes. You stumbled into your room, shut the door, locked it, and sank to the ground. You fisted your sweatshirt at the spot right near your heart and broke into hard, wracking sobs.</p><p>Something dragged down the other side of the door and hit the floor. You knew it was him. Why couldn’t he just leave you alone? You didn’t want anything to do with him. He snuck around behind <em>your</em> back with <em>your<strong> best friend</strong></em> who he knew had a thing for him.</p><p>“I didn’t want to mess things up between you two,” Kuroo told you from the other side, his voice partially muffed by the thick slab of wood between you. “She was the only real person you hung out with besides me, Kenma and Yaku. You were finally opening up to her, you know? Then she just…came onto me and I panicked. I turned her down, I <em>promise</em> I did, but I didn’t want to get you involved and start a fight. I thought for sure she would’ve given up.”</p><p>You didn’t want to hear any more and you couldn’t bring yourself to tell him that.</p><p>“I shouldn’t have gone out with her. You’re right about that. I thought that…if I made a big deal about it, and got mad at her for tricking me, then she would take it out on you. I couldn’t stand that…having to see you get so sad because you were working so hard on that article for her. I’m <em>sorry</em>.”</p><p>“You—” You choked out between your tears. “You believed her! Why?! What could she have ever said to you…that would make you think…I didn’t care about you?”</p><p>Kuroo was silent for a few beats. His voice was strained. He was being chewed alive by the guilt from making you cry like this. You’d only ever been this outright with your emotions the day that your grandma died. You tried to act tough around him, to show him that you didn’t need to be babied, but all of that work had been destroyed with this one incident where he could hear you break down over him.</p><p>“I don’t know. I saw the pictures. I saw how happy you looked. I didn’t think much of it at first. Then I remembered – Kenma telling me about how you were probably his favorite student. How she showed me you were alone with him, at his place, and you were laughing and smiling when you went out to that restaurant. I saw him walk by your side and I felt like he looked way better with you.”</p><p>Kuroo’s voice cracked and your stomach lurched. “I’m not some accomplished teacher who can afford a huge place like that. You’ve always been more mature. Watanabe said you’d been spending all this time with him outside of class and how she never saw you look happy like that with me. She said she felt bad for me because I’m always the one dragging you off and I started thinking about how it’s true. You never really initiate dates and…shit, I don’t know, she said I deserved to be with someone who wasn’t just with me because…I was pushy.”</p><p>You didn’t even know what to say. Kuroo had insecurities about your relationship and you had no idea. If Aiko picked up on it before you, then that meant you were being neglectful. It frustrated you even more to know that she could see something in him that you couldn’t. You didn’t want her to have any leverage over you at all.</p><p>“You’re <em>not</em> pushy,” you argued. “You’re <em>not</em>. I’m just awkward…I don’t know how to initiate things without feeling weird. I don’t know how to show how I really feel sometimes. But you make it so much easier for me, because I…I don’t have to worry, I know you’re going to let me go at my own pace. I trust you. You make me feel like it’s not just some kind of act or you’re forcing yourself. When I’m with you, I can believe that I’m wanted, just like everyone else. I’m…stupid, and sorry for not making you feel the same way.”</p><p>“And you’re not stupid. Don’t say stuff like that, it drives me nuts.” He shuffled around and you could tell that he had positioned himself so that he was facing the door instead of sitting against it. “You’re way smart. Too smart for me. You got into that preppy school for rich kids. You wrote that kickass article…which I read so I know what I’m talking about. It’s not just booksmarts, either. You put up with me and Yaku, making us friends even though we hated each other in junior high. You always manage to keep Kenma comfortable and happy; he loves you so much. I don’t feel dumb when I get excited about the things I love because you support me, even if you call me a nerd. I just wanna be the kind of guy that you’re proud of. And this whole mess showed how much of a loser I am when it comes to making you happy.”</p><p>You frowned. “I <em>am</em> happy with you. I’ll <em>always</em> be happy with you.”</p><p>“Yeah, but I just end up hurting you sometimes. Like when those dicks from the team were making you feel weird and Yaku had to step in. Or that time when I gave Watanabe my number without thinking about it. And then this shitshow, keeping secrets from you, doubting whether you really liked me or not…”</p><p>As his voice trailed off, you pulled yourself off the floor. Your hand lingered on the cool metal knob before you turned it, causing Kuroo to jump slightly from the sudden noise. He didn’t expect to see you by the question written in his eyes as they trailed up to yours.</p><p>You lowered yourself onto the ground and reached out as gently as you could. His lips parted and you saw the dried tearstains that ran along his skin. Your fingers ghosted along his cheeks as you cradled his head in your hands. He leaned into you and his brows drooped down, the soft hair swept along his forehead disheveled from his chase earlier.</p><p>“I love you, Tetsurou.”</p><p>His jaw stiffened under your touch and warmth pooled in his cheeks. You watched his usually sunkissed skin turn ruddy in a manner of a few seconds. He swallowed hard and the softness of his gaze on you was enough to cause your stomach to flip.</p><p>“I love you, too,” he mumbled. No way for him to get out of this one with his usual bravado. Not when you were laying your heart on the line and he knew how sensitive you were as it is.</p><p>“You do? That’s so gross!” You pulled him forward and planted a warm kiss on his mouth.</p><p>You had fully intended to draw back right away, but Kuroo grabbed the collar of your sweatshirt and refused to let you go. You lost your balance and toppled straight onto his chest, full weight and all, landing on him hard with an <em>oof!</em> You and Kuroo bonked heads on the way down and you let out a cry of surprise, the sharp pain bursting from your tender forehead.</p><p>“Oww…Tetsurouuu!” you whined. “What the heck!”</p><p>“Sorry. Couldn’t pass the opportunity up to have you on top of me.” He grinned up at you. “Last time you did this we weren’t even together.”</p><p>“If you tell me that you paid that kid to unleash his dog on me, I’m going to sit on top of you until you pass out from hunger.”</p><p>He chuckled and shifted so he was sitting up, you plopped down directly in his lap. He reached up to curl a hand around the back of your neck. “That sounds like the ideal way to die, honestly.”</p><p>He drew you in for another kiss, this one far more heated than the last. You didn’t have time to be worried about if you were crushing him or not. Not when you had your thick thighs encased around his narrow waist. His lips were already wet and shining and you bit down on the lower one, earning a breathless laugh from him. When your mouths met again, you had him pinned, encompassing his entire form with yours, tongue slipping in with ease. You weren’t sure why you ever got squeamish with this kind of thing. Feeling the heat from his tongue as it stroked against your own was enough to send a jolt down to your very core.</p><p>“Mmph…” You drew back to catch some air, his thumb drawing circles on your jawline. “You shouldn’t be such a good kisser. It’s illegal. What’d you do, practice with the wall in your room when you were daydreaming of me?”</p><p>He scoffed. “Getting cocky, huh?”</p><p>You stroked the edge of his lips and relished how soft they were. “All jokes aside…I’m sorry Aiko made you feel like shit. I’m glad you agreed to talk to me, and…I know you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me. I was so scared that she got to you…I’ve told you before that I’m aware of how hot she is, so…”</p><p>“Not my type.” His teeth closed around the tip of your thumb, the corners of his mouth quirking up. “For what it’s worth, she never stood a chance. It’s not a fair fight. Guess I’m sorry too for assuming you’d want to shack up with an old man like Dobashi. You think I’m prettier than he is, don’t you?”</p><p>You hummed. “Well, I mean, he <em>did</em> have a nice apartment.”</p><p>Kuroo’s jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed into slits. “You want me to get a cushy job as a business tycoon and afford a high-rise? You got it.”</p><p>“Dummy.”</p><p>You slipped your arms around his shoulders and drew him into your chest. He snuggled there without even thinking twice. You felt the warmth of his breath as he exhaled, hands trailing up and down your back. You only wished the cotton hoodie you were wearing was rundown enough that you could feel the calloused pads of his fingers.</p><p>“So what now?” You combed your fingers through his hair. “What do we do about her? She’s got a raging boner for you and apparently didn’t get the memo that no means no.”</p><p>He laughed while buried into the contours of your body. “I don’t know, maybe we can sic Minoru on her and he’ll put up some posters about the new pervert in town.”</p><p>“The Tokyo Tailer. Her specialty is stalking people and taking pictures of them for her creepy little shrine at home.”</p><p>Kuroo squeezed you tighter, shoulders shaking. “I'm done.”</p><p>“Remember that movie where the dude and his friends like, humiliated that girl? And after she committed suicide her ghost was still in love with him, so she hung around his neck all the time like a haunted baby monkey? That’s gonna be you. You’re gonna be like, ‘Oh man, my back hurts all the time. What the heck?’ And then when we go to some doctor who is also conveniently a medium, he’ll get super scared and say, ‘You’ve been carrying around this spirit the entire time since she died!’ She’ll show up in all of our pictures and everything.”</p><p>“At least I’ll get buff with all that extra weight on my shoulders. Would rather be able to bench press you, though.”</p><p>“In your <em>dreams</em>.”</p><p>You stayed like that for a few more minutes, basking in the closeness and warmth of your shared body heat. Kuroo didn’t seem to want to let you go. To be honest, you didn’t, either. It’d felt like a lifetime that you’d gotten close like this even though it had been less than a week.</p><p>As much as you did enjoy the way you were were positioned, your legs were starting to cramp. You shifted from side to side and tried to adjust the angle so they wouldn’t fall asleep. The more you did so, the tighter Kuroo’s grip on you got. It was cute at first, but you really needed to move before you ended up walking on pins and needles.</p><p>You froze when you heard Kuroo mutter your name into your chest. It was almost…pained? Did you miss something? Was he still upset about what happened? You wiggled more to pull away and found that he was definitely anchoring you in place with his arms wrapped snugly around your waist.</p><p>“Tetsurou, let go!”</p><p>“Wait. Just give me a second.”</p><p>You couldn’t believe how bratty he was being. You understood it, you really did, he was overtly affectionate with you in the few moments you had some privacy. Still, you weren’t in the mood to be taking orders from him, no matter how nice it was to hear that pleading tone. You huffed and drew back again, scooting backwards, only to have him continue to cage you in and close the distance between you.</p><p>“Dude, knock it off! I’m serious. Tetsurou!”</p><p>He choked back some words and you didn’t have the patience to listen. You attempted once again to lift yourself from his lap. This time his fingers trailed down to your hips and he pulled you down firmly between his legs. You admired the feeling of his musculature underneath you for the briefest of moments. Your bodies were so different. You were soft and curvy. He was lean and toned. You almost found yourself getting lost in the welcoming flex of his thighs underneath you and had to snap your attention back to him.</p><p>“Um…” You became hyper-aware of something. “Are you…?”</p><p>“I’m trying to concentrate. Can you stop moving?”</p><p>You were floored. You knew what you felt. Despite you being in the rattiest clothes possible, your face puffy from crying just moments earlier, Kuroo somehow managed to get hard. You didn’t even know what to say or do. You hadn’t noticed it right away, but as the seconds ticked on, it became more obvious that the sudden heat and weight between your legs wasn’t there before.</p><p>“Do you…really want me to stop?”</p><p>Kuroo separated himself from your chest for the first time in minutes. He had an expression of discomfort mixed with shock. “What?”</p><p>“I mean…” You held onto his gaze so he knew how resolute you were with your next words. “I can help…”</p><p>“You don’t have to do that.”</p><p>“Well…maybe I want to.” You dropped more weight down onto him and ground down, seeing his Adam's apple dip with a hard swallow. There was no mistaking it now. You knew the timing was weird, you had just made up and everything, but it didn’t deter you at all. You searched him for any sort of doubt. “Unless <em>you</em> don’t want to?”</p><p>He chuckled weakly. “It’s not a big deal. I can just wait it out. Or go to the bathroom or something.”</p><p>“Yeah, but…I’m offering. Besides, it feels…good,” you admitted, shifting for good measure. He grunted and his lower half drew upwards. The pressure underneath you was foreign and not unwelcome in the slightest. If anything you relished the attention and the way your stomach coiled in anticipation.</p><p>Kuroo huffed out a laugh, trying so hard to keep his cool. “I won’t unless you say yes.”</p><p>“Then I’m saying yes.”</p><p>He had difficulty responding, especially considering that you’d given an experimental roll of your hips against him. You hadn’t noticed it before and now it was hard to do anything but. Your shorts felt paper thin now. You squeezed your legs together and the change in angle had him jerk in surprise.</p><p>“Tetsurou? Can I move?”</p><p>His head bobbed up and down in response. You were going to use this as leverage later. Having Kuroo speechless was not an easy task.</p><p>With his permission, you released your hold and put your full weight back onto him. He swallowed hard when you urged him to lie back, lowering him to the floor, making sure the back of his head didn’t come down too hard. He stared up at you with wonder and a hazy sheen settled across his eyes. His lips parted, words unable to escape them.</p><p>You placed your hands flat on his chest. “I already regret this decision, you can see my double chin from this angle.”</p><p>That got a scoff out of him. “Could you not put yourself down for five seconds? You’re gonna kill the mood.”</p><p>“Oh, <em>so</em> sorry.” You smirked down at him. “Earlier was okay, though? I didn’t know that seeing me cry did it for you.”</p><p>Before he could make any kind of smartass remark, you added pressure down on his lap by dragging your hips along the searing, stiff length beneath you. You felt all of the muscles in his stomach tighten as he let out a shaky exhale, chin dipping back as he stared at the ceiling.</p><p>You went for another grind, teeth closing around your bottom lip. He felt good. <em>This</em> felt good. All of the feeling from your waist up disintegrated into nothingness and you settled into a slow, deliberate rhythm, rocking back and forth on his lap, back arching when he thrusted up to meet you halfway.</p><p>“Ungh…”</p><p>You sucked in a sharp breath and gazed down at him in wonder. His eyes had screwed shut. His chest heaved and he stifled more of the sinful noises, masking it underneath a few breathy exhales.</p><p>His hands, which had been lying flat on either side of him, trailed up your thighs and settled on your hips. His name died on your lips when you realized he guided you back and forth, forcing you to pick up the pace. You let him take control that way. You liked the way his rough fingers dug into the soft flesh of your love handles, gripping you hard enough to cause a pleasant sting and shudder down your back.</p><p>“Are you close?” you murmured. “I…ah! I-I can go harder…if you want….”</p><p>“Fuck,” Kuroo drawled. His eyes were hooded, glazed, mouth partially open with a few strangled groans from his throat. “Just…keep doing that…I think I’m gonna…”</p><p>With those words, Kuroo bolted upright. You nearly fell backwards before his arms encircled your back to hold you in place. He swept you up in a hard kiss, crushing his lips to yours. His tongue dove in and wrapped around yours, your muffled name moaned into your mouth. It took one final thrust before a hard shudder wracked his body. His legs trembled and the space between your legs grew wet and warm. He held you in place, riding out his orgasm, the aftershocks causing him to spasm against you.</p><p>You didn’t cum, but you felt dizzy and sated, high even, that tingling realization of what you’d done seeping through every one of your limbs before settling in your core. You’d been clawing at his back and hooked your legs around his waist in a crushing grip, pinning his softening member between your combined bodies.</p><p>Kuroo pulled away from you and you didn’t even mind that the lower half of his face was slick with your saliva, shining brightly in the afternoon rays peering from the window behind you. “Uh, did you…?”</p><p>You shook your head. “It’s okay. It wasn’t about me. And…I’m pretty sure I’ve tortured these panties enough. They’re soaked.”</p><p>“Seriously…?” You watched his gaze lower and settle on the junction of your hips. “Lemme feel it.”</p><p>Even after all you'd done, you found yourself balk at his suggestion. “N-no way! I didn’t put my hand down <em>your</em> pants. Besides, it’s gross, and I haven’t even shaved or anything—”</p><p>Kuroo silenced you with a kiss, this one softer than the last. It wasn’t desperate or needy. It wasn’t the result of a post-orgasmic haze that took away all rational thought. This one was dripping with affection. He pulled back so your lips just barely touched. The gentleness of his gaze and the slight tickle of your barely-there contact sent a healthy amount of blood rushing along your neck and cheeks.</p><p>“Don’t sweat it. I’m not gonna push you. Besides…this just showed me that make-up sex is definitely worth the hype.”</p><p>“Dork.” You kissed him this time, winding your fingers in his matted, sweat-soaked hair.</p><p>You were so engrossed in exchanging short, supple kisses that you hadn’t even noticed the front door open. Still on top of him in the middle of the hallway, you didn’t have time to react to the shadowy figure that loomed over you from the end of the hall.</p><p>“Ugh. I guess I shouldn’t have been worried about you two after all.”</p><p>You jerked back from Kuroo and immediately went to wipe your mouth with the back of your hand, trying to clean off the streaks of saliva that coated your lips and chin. Kuroo froze and shot you a panicked look. You weren’t sure why…until his eyes trailed down to his lap. His black basketball shorts had a pretty noticeable stain. Of all the days he decided to wear a dark color!</p><p>You needed to distract Yaku, so you jumped to your feet and strode towards him. “It’s your fault for not saying anything when you came in!”</p><p>“I thought you two might have needed a mediator. I’m glad I was wrong.” He sighed and uncrossed his arms. Even if he had a little bite to his words, you knew that he was relieved that you and Kuroo were well enough to be all over each other in the middle of the hallway. “What’s wrong with him? He’s way quieter than usual.”</p><p>“It’s just…been…you know…stressful.” You weren’t lying, necessarily. Yaku didn’t seem all that impressed with your answer. “Wait, how did you even find out about what happened? I didn’t call you or anything.”</p><p>“Your parents broke the news to mine and I happened to be in the room.” He faltered. “Was I the only one who didn’t know? Again?”</p><p>“I mean…no, I haven’t told everyone what happened. I’m sorry, it was super embarrassing and I didn’t want to bother you.”</p><p>Yaku placed a hand on both of your shoulders, halting you from your determined attempt to steer him further away. “You always do this. You take everything and try to shoulder it all on your own. I get why you’d be wary, but you know I’d always take your side. I know you well enough. Nothing could ever pull you away from that smug jerk behind you. Am I right?”</p><p>“Yeah.” You were comforted by how earnest he was. “You are. Thanks, Yakkun.”</p><p>You made a move to the living room and Yaku paused before you were fully out of Kuroo’s line of sight. You sucked in a breath and dragged your eyes to the boy in question, who had tugged his sweatshirt down and shifted uncomfortably under Yaku’s pinpointed stare.</p><p>“Do you need the bathroom or something? Why are you acting so weird?”</p><p>To the untrained eye, Kuroo radiated cool indifference. You knew better than that. You reached down and pulled on Yaku’s hand, trying your best to get him to drop it.</p><p>“He was nervous about earlier and it made his stomach hurt, so…”</p><p>Yaku took the bait. He allowed you to take him down the rest of he way down the hallway. You could see from the corner of your eye that Kuroo had dashed into your room. You knew he would make a beeline for yourdrawers, snatch the nearest pair of pants or shorts he could find, and do his best to clean himself up in the bathroom. You really wanted to do the same; it was so uncomfortable having to walk around in soiled panties while trying to play it cool.</p><p>You settled down at the table where the abandoned snacks and tea laid untouched. You sank into the chair and Yaku helped himself to one of the cookies you’d baked earlier. He chomped down on it and trained his eyes on you.</p><p>“I’m glad you guys worked it out. Kuroo gets on my nerves sometimes, but I know for a fact that he’s head over heels for you.”</p><p>It was flattering to hear that, even if it was a little strange coming from someone you considered family. “Me too. This whole thing was a fucking mess.”</p><p>“Tell me about it.” His chewing slowed. “I only met Aiko a few times. I thought she was a decent girl. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry that things ended up like this. But you have to be careful from now on. You know that everyone is waiting for you to slip up…and I don’t want things to get more complicated for you.”</p><p>“I know. I’m going to stay away from her as much as I can. We’re in the same homeroom but as of right now we’re not interacting at school at all.”</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>Kuroo made his way down the hallway and was much more relaxed than before. He stretched his arms high above his head and grunted. You couldn’t help but zero in on the sliver of his stomach that peeked through the space between the waistband of his shorts and hem of his t-shirt. He was doing this on purpose, he had to be.</p><p>“You’ve been cooped up here for the better half of the week, or so Kenma told me. The weather’s not going to stay this nice forever. We should go out and spend some time together.” Yaku clapped his hands over the table to get rid of any remaining crumbs on his fingers. “Besides, it’s been awhile since we all hung out together.”</p><p>You nodded in approval. “After wasting all that time holed up in my room writing, I’m down for some fresh air.”</p><p>After firing off a text to invite Kenma out with you, you excused yourself so you could take a quick shower and get changed. It was a relief to shuck off the evidence of your tryst in the hallway. Your clothes pooled around your ankles while you stepped out of them to hop into the hot water to clean yourself up.</p><p>You probably should’ve felt a little more guilty about what happened and regretted it even a sliver, but you didn’t. You were still reeling from the experience. You’d been dancing around the idea for months. Was the timing right? Maybe not…but it worked for you and that was fine with you. You weren’t going to sit there and pretend you weren’t enamored with the way he felt and the sounds he made. Especially considering they were all for you and no one else.</p><p>By the time you came out to greet Yaku and Kuroo, Kenma was already in the living room. He rubbed at his eyes blearily. He must have stayed up late playing video games and hadn’t expected to be roused from bed this early in the afternoon. Still, he looked relieved that you and Kuroo were back to normal and things had been settled.</p><p>“Did you have somewhere in mind, Yakkun?”</p><p>The wide sidewalk gave you more than enough room to traverse through the shopping district together. Kuroo kept sneaking grins at you the entire time. He was going to blow your cover if he kept acting this suspicious. You caught him trying to snatch your hand a few times, but Yaku was great at being an involuntary cockblock, so you ended up just sneaking glances at each other the entire walk.</p><p>“Apparently this place is really good. I’ve been wanting to try it.” Yaku led you to a new shop that opened up. It looked like the line was out the door already, people of all backgrounds shifting from foot to foot, on their phones or chatting with each other. “Their special is this huge plate called the Manju Mountain. If you can finish it in twenty minutes, you get your spot on the wall and a gift card for free manju for three months.”</p><p>It wasn’t like him to be so interested in sweets. “So who are you planning to take here that often?”</p><p>Kuroo snickered. “He’s been trying to get the courage to ask out this second year for the past two weeks. She’s a library aide he met when researching for a paper.”</p><p>You were floored at the new information, especially seeing the color bloom across Yaku’s face. “No way! You have a crush?! What’s she like?!”</p><p>“Kuroo you said you wouldn’t say anything!” Yaku exclaimed. “If that’s how you want to play it, then I’m going to tell her about your locke—”</p><p>In response, Kuroo grabbed him by the shoulders and tucked him under his arm for a loose chokehold. His knuckles buried themselves in Yaku’s hair as he grinded them back and forth, maniacal laughter erupting from his lips. Yaku struggled against him, grunting about how it wasn’t fair that Kuroo was freakishly huge.</p><p>You and Kenma watched for a few seconds before breaking into a round of laughter. No one around seemed to mind so much that they were horsing around.</p><p>It looked like several people were inside trying their hand at the manju challenge. Now it all made sense why Yaku had roped you into hanging out together. A max of four people could attempt to eat the sweets within the allotted time. Part of you wanted to be offended that he’d used you, but you were going to win that damn gift card so he’d have the guts to invite the girl out.</p><p>“You know Yakkun, you probably should’ve picked someone a little more suited to this challenge. Kenma doesn’t even have a huge appetite. He’ll probably eat like one and be full.”</p><p>Yaku considered your words and his head slumped forward on the table. “I didn’t think about that at all.”</p><p>Kenma chuckled. “I’ll do my best.”</p><p>“Don’t force yourself, man. Yaku is the one we’re doing this for, so he should be the one to eat the most out of all us.” Kuroo smacked Yaku on the back and jolted him from his mopey stance. “Show us how much you want it.”</p><p>You felt a little awkward. This place wasn’t exactly huge; the rented space was just big enough for about five tables or so. You felt squished up against the wall and the chair itself was dainty, made of some kind of straw that creaked in warning every time you moved.</p><p>You swept your eyes around the room to make sure no one was staring. Being a bigger girl and doing an eating competition like this was sure to give people ammunition to judge you. People assumed this was how you got as big as you were and would regard you with disgust for even having the audacity to eat in public, of all things.</p><p>Still, you didn’t want to ruin the mood with intrusive thoughts. You watched Kuroo tease the hell out of Yaku. He started mimicking how flustered Yaku got when the girl called him to the checkout desk; apparently Yaku had been so absorbed in watching her that he nearly walked right out with a couple of reference books whose permanent place was supposed to be in the shelves.</p><p>Kenma reached over and touched your arm. “Are you sure you’re okay?”</p><p>“Yeah. Thanks. We talked things over.” You tucked a piece of hair behind your ear. “I wanted to thank you for being there for both of us. I’m sure it was super weird.”</p><p>He shrugged. “It just means I have blackmail for both of you.”</p><p>“Oh, wow. You’re just as bad as he is.” You reached forward and brushed his dark hair back so you could grab his cheek, stretching it out just hard enough to make him wince. “Don’t think this means I’m going to hold back the next time you rope me into prepping for one of your gaming tournaments.”</p><p>“Hey, stop flirting with Kenma when your hot boyfriend is at the table!” Kuroo put his lips around his straw and blew into it, the end of the wrapper hitting you directly in the face.</p><p>You picked it up, balled it between your fingers, and flicked it right back at him. “Jealousy’s not a good look for you, dude.”</p><p>The waitress came by with a giant plate stacked high with desserts and an egg timer in the shape of a cat. You could already see Yaku eyeing it. He had a soft spot for cats and would probably ask where the waitress got it from so he could nab one of his own.</p><p>All of you stared down at the trial in front of you. Kuroo cracked his knuckles dramatically like he was just about to face down an opponent in the court. A feral grin already stretched across his face. Yaku had his eyes pinned on the stack as his fingers twitched in anticipation. Kenma grabbed a napkin and slid it over to you with a small smile.</p><p>“Okay guys! You’ve got ten minutes to eat a hundred manju. Hope you skipped lunch.” The waitress’ hand hovered over the start button. “Go!”</p><p>Yaku and Kuroo dove for that plate with the same amount of energy they used to save a volleyball from hitting the floor after a powerful serve. It caught you off guard for a few seconds and then you regained control of yourself. You reached forward and grabbed a handful of them, popping them one by one into your mouth in rapid succession. It was flaky and sweet with just the right amount of red bean paste inside.</p><p>You lifted your head, cheeks stuffed, and realized that Yaku had taken more than he could chew – literally. His eyes bulged out and he pounded his chest with a fist, struggling so hard not to spray bits and pieces of the manju across the table. Kuroo took one look at him and did just that. He lost control of himself, mouth open in a hard guffaw, and ended up spitting everywhere.</p><p>“Ew!” you exclaimed. “Tetsurou!”</p><p>“You’re going to get us disqualified if you do that again,” Kenma countered. “Do you want a napkin?”</p><p>Kuroo turned toward you and opened his mouth. It was full of bread and dyed a dark red from the filling that spread all over his teeth. “Hey, kith me.”</p><p>“Stoooop!” You almost snorted some of the dessert into your lungs from disgust and amusement.</p><p>You had no idea how many manju you ate, but all of you started slowing down by the time there was a third of it left. Kuroo forced himself to keep going. Yaku looked like he regretted this decision and that he would be having cold sweats and nightmares about manju for weeks. Kenma already tapped out and was on his phone, snapping less than flattering pictures of the both of them so you could laugh about it later.</p><p>You had one minute left and there were ten manju sitting on the plate, mocking you. Kuroo grabbed three. So did you. Yaku took the remaining four of them and you all just gave your piles a thousand-yard stare. Kenma grabbed the extra one from Yaku’s plate in an attempt to participate in the last leg of the competition. With your remaining strength, all of you went to work and forced yourselves to stomach just a few more bites.</p><p>The alarm went off and the waitress who had been monitoring you the entire time went around the table. She made you lift your arms and hands, uncrumple the used napkins, and even show her that you weren’t hiding any remnants in your mouths. When she was satisfied, she hit the bell on the front counter.</p><p>“Take a look at the new champions of Manju Mountain!”</p><p>You never felt so sick and mortified in your life. Your stomach was going to burst and now you had the attention of the entire restaurant on you. Yaku didn’t even try to act tough. He slumped backwards and his eyes rolled upwards to the ceiling. From the amount of sugar he ate it wouldn’t surprise you if he started seeing mini-hallucinations of his crush dancing in the air.</p><p>Kuroo soaked up the praise and pretended he wasn’t suffering through stomach cramps and needed to throw up. You and Kenma shrank into yourselves and wished for this to be over with.</p><p>“Here you go! One gift card with three months of free manju guaranteed. We’re going to take your picture, so let me just grab my phone!”</p><p>“Don’t ever ask me for anything ever again,” you hissed at Yaku. “I look like a mess and now we’re going to be plastered on that wall for the world to see!”</p><p>“Hey,” Yaku grumbled, “at least it’s better than the posters of the pervert that Kuroo was caught up in.”</p><p>Kuroo was scandalized. “Bro! I just put my stomach on the line for you! Don’t bring that up!”</p><p>“You’ll never live that down. Besides, it’s the truth. You are a pervert.” You grinned at him and he shot you a lascivious look in response.</p><p>“You’d know, huh?”</p><p>He caught you off guard with that one. You shut your mouth and looked away, not willing to take the bait this time. What the hell! You were the one in charge when it happened and now he was making you squirm!</p><p>Kuroo grabbed your shoulder and pulled you in for the photo. Kenma did his best to hide his face with his hair, but the waitress was pushy and refused to let him. Yaku put on a smile that hid his desire to just go into the nearest bathroom and puke his guts out.</p><p>You nearly ran out of there once the formalities were done. You hadn’t realized you were sweating until you stepped out into the frigid air outside. You inhaled sharply and clutched your stomach.</p><p>“We should walk this off. It’s not going to help if we just sit around.” Yaku paused before you left. “Uh…thanks, guys. I know I should’ve asked beforehand.”</p><p>“No sweat. Just make sure I’m the best man at your wedding.” Kuroo put his hands on his hips, smirking down at the libero. “Oh, and I’m expecting a kickass gift from our wedding registry, too.”</p><p>“Who’s marrying <em>you</em>?” you joked, grabbing Kenma’s hand and pulling him with you down the street. “Kenma and I are going on the rest of our date since you put the idea in my head earlier.”</p><p>You didn’t get more than a few steps before Kuroo ran up and grabbed you from behind, arms encircled around your stomach and a pair of soft lips against your neck. You let out a squeak from surprise and didn’t miss the eyerolls from the other two with you. Kuroo pressed that smug smile to your skin before he pulled away, your fingers now interlocked with his.</p><p>All of you walked and talked, not really aiming for anywhere specific. You were at a stoplight getting ready to cross when you noticed a massive crowd just on the other side of the street at a nearby park.</p><p>“What do you think’s going on?” Yaku narrowed his eyes. “I hear shouting.”</p><p>“Let’s check it out, then.” Kuroo didn’t wait before he dragged you along with him. All of you switched gears and directed your attention to the spectacle in the making.</p><p>Kuroo was tall enough to see over the heads of most of the people huddled up and let out a chuckle. “Looks like it’s a martial arts competition.”</p><p>“Really? In the park?” Yaku frowned. You followed him and tried to weave through the people to find your own vantage point. You were tailing him so closely that you nearly tripped on the back of his shoes. Kenma bumped into you and the two of you teetered forward and fell.</p><p>“Sorry,” he mumbled.</p><p>“That was my fault.” You laughed and helped him up before realizing that you couldn’t see the vibrant red of Yaku’s shirt. “Shit. I think we lost them. I guess we’ll just have to keep going.”</p><p>You circled around the numerous people and realized that several of them were getting ready to step back and make room. From what you saw, they spoke to one of the competitors and you realized she was around your age. She wiped the sweat from her brow and her shoulders slumped while they led her away, passing her a water bottle in the process.</p><p>“Over here.”</p><p>You picked up Kenma’s voice despite the clamor in the crowd and squeezed next to him and Yaku. Kuroo was nowhere to be found. He might have just kept going without looking back. You weren’t too worried considering he would be able to find you right away.</p><p>You zeroed in on the two competitors up next. You would recognize those broad shoulders and sharp eyes anywhere. “That’s Minoru’s sister.”</p><p>“Who?” Yaku glanced at you.</p><p>“That guy who was in the neighborhood watch committee thing,” you explained. “He’s a pretty cool dude. He’s just a little excitable.”</p><p>“Plus he has a crush on you.” Kenma chuckled.</p><p>“No he doesn’t!”</p><p>“Yes, he does.”</p><p>“Kenma!” You huffed. “Just because he gave me some sweets doesn’t mean anything. Besides, I barely see him as it is. Well, I mean, before all of this went down. He has walked me home a few times in the last week.”</p><p>Kenma put a hand on the ball of your shoulder and turned you towards the opposite direction you’d been facing. “Well, he’s already running over here.”</p><p>Yaku snickered next to you and you shot him a look. He didn’t take the hint. You tried to play it cool before the bulky boy closed the distance between you. He had this thousand-watt smile on his face that didn’t lessen at all despite coming to a halt right in front of you.</p><p>“Hey there! I didn’t know you were interested in martial arts!”</p><p>“We were walking by and wanted to see what was up. I saw your sister is competing.”</p><p>“Yeah, she’s really excited about it.” His eyes sparkled when he glanced over at her. “She’s won the past two years, you know. I’ve been helping her practice. We spar sometimes so she doesn’t lose her touch. When I saw Kuroo, I thought you’d be with him!”</p><p>So he had seen him already. “Ah, we kind of got separated.”</p><p>“I see. Well, I can take you to where he is! He actually found a decent spot. I was going to say hello, but he was in the middle of a conversation and I didn’t want to interrupt.”</p><p>Yaku elbowed you when Minoru set his sights on Kenma, excitedly asking if he had any experience playing fighting games before. “That guy had heart eyes the entire time he talked to you.”</p><p>“Shut up. I told you it’s not like that. And if you don’t stop messing around, I’m going to go over to Nekoma and find this girl myself so I can shake her down for info.”</p><p>That shut him up really quick. You exchanged a few more playful jabs at one another, keeping your eyes locked on Minoru’s towering form.</p><p>Kuroo had managed to find an empty space on the complete opposite side of where you were. When the crowds parted, you saw the top of his bedhead and broke into a relieved smile. But that expression soon faded when you realized who he was with.</p><p>“What is she doing here?” Yaku grabbed your arm. “Hey. Don’t jump to any conclusions.”</p><p>You watched Aiko and Kuroo from the distance. He looked majorly uncomfortable and was trying to move away. She wasn’t letting him. Not with his shirt bunched in her fist and her usually bubbly voice raised to a volume that was loud, but still somewhat muffled by the cheers in the crowd.</p><p>You trusted Kuroo. You believed what he told you. You weren’t going to let her get the better of you; not when you just made up with your boyfriend. Minoru had no idea you and Kuroo weren’t on speaking terms, so he approached the both of them without any hesitation. You, Kenma and Yaku and trailed after him, your heartbeat picking up speed and hammering against your chest.</p><p>“…eal. It was real, Tetsurou. We had so much fun together and you even said so.”</p><p>“I’m only telling you this one more time. I’m not interested in you. I wouldn’t have hung out with you if I’d known you were just trying to get me alone.”</p><p>“It’s not fair. You were so nice to me before. Why are you letting her bully you into staying with her? She’s a horrible girlfriend <em>and</em> friend, and you know it. She hangs out with guys all the time! Don’t you think it’s weird she doesn’t have any girl friends besides me?”</p><p>His tone was flat. “Dude. Get off me.”</p><p>Kuroo realized you’d found him and you watched his eyes widen in panic. He didn’t want you to get the wrong idea. He made a move to pry Aiko off him, but Minoru beat him to the punch. He encased her smaller hand with his and unhooked her fingers one by one.</p><p>“Miss, I think he’s made it pretty clear he’s not interested. I don’t know who you are, but Kuroo has a girlfriend, and she’s right over there!”</p><p>It was the first time you’d really seen each other since the time she accused you of cheating. You expected yourself to feel sick with rage. You didn’t. You closed the gap between you and made sure to keep your eyes locked onto her. You wanted her to focus on you and not everyone else.</p><p>“Aiko. Please…stop.”</p><p>She sucked in a deep breath. “He <em>doesn’t</em> want to be with you.”</p><p>“That’s not true.” You weren’t going to let her drive a wedge between you again. “We made up. I really don’t get why you’re so adamant in trying to break us up, but it’s not happening. Okay? I’m tired of fighting with you over this. We were friends. We don’t have to be anymore, but I’m begging you – please leave us alone.”</p><p>Aiko stared at you. Thankfully the crowd was so absorbed in the competition that they had no idea about what was going on. You tried to search her for any clue on why she was so angry, bitter and dead set on hurting you. What had you done to warrant this?</p><p>“Why do you act like you’re so much better than me? I-I can’t stand it.” Aiko shook her head. Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. “I love him.”</p><p>“Aiko, I’m not giving him up and he’s not in love with you.”</p><p>You took a step forward and approached Kuroo. You wanted to grab his hand and take him away from her as fast as possible. You shot him a wobbly smile in an attempt to reassure him that everything would be okay. He was relieved you’d taken his side this time.</p><p>You moved ahead far enough that your back was to Aiko. In an instant, you felt a sharp, stinging pain on the crown of your head. Your neck jerked backwards and a sharp cry escaped your lips. You toppled over and your head struck the ground first. You could practically feel your brain rattle in your skull. You struggled to catch your breath. When you realized what had happened, an indescribable amount of rage clawed up from your stomach to your throat.</p><p>You heard the guys shout your name and you didn’t care. You rushed over to her and grabbed her wrist, ignoring the feral way she clawed at your face. Her long nails slashed across your cheek in the process. You yanked her away from you with all of your might and tossed her to the side like a ragdoll. She crumpled. You fully intended to pin her down – but you weren’t able to make another move.</p><p>Minoru came up behind you and scooped you up like a sack of potatoes, flinging you over his shoulder. You weren’t sure what shocked you more. The fact that he’d done it and hadn’t blown his back out, or that his sister had done the exact same thing to Aiko just a few meters away. He carted you away from her with measured steps, his shoulders not even sagging with your added weight.</p><p>He got you far enough away that you had separated from the crowd. You could see from here that several people watched you. They must have finally noticed the argument and how you lunged at each other. You were livid, hurt, on the verge of crying and embarrassed beyond belief.</p><p>After adjusting himself, Minoru bent down so he could sit you down onto the grass. You swallowed and steeled yourself for everyone’s reactions. Minoru dropped down at the waist and checked you for any injuries, carefully moving aside your hair to see if you were bleeding anywhere. When he caught sight of the scratches, he excused himself and darted back to the competition site for medical supplies.</p><p>“What the fuck just happened?” You buried your face in your hands and winced. Shouldn’t have done that. You pulled back and saw streaks of blood on the pads of your fingers. “She really just pulled my hair! I thought that kind of stuff was just a cliché!”</p><p>With Minoru out of the way, Yaku fussed over you like a mother hen. He was concerned about the way you hit your head. He fired off a bunch of questions to make sure you were still neurologically sound, asking you how many fingers he held up, for you to follow his finger, personal information, the date, year and where you were. You passed with flying colors, of course.</p><p>“Here.” Kenma handed you some fresh water after twisting off the cap. “Just try to take some deep breaths.”</p><p>Kuroo’s desperate expression from the sidelines was heartbreaking.</p><p>“Don’t,” you told him from your spot. “Don’t sit there and take the blame. She’s the one acting like such a psycho.”</p><p>Minoru returned but Kuroo stopped him before he could make his way over to you. Kuroo took the supplies in his hands. Neither of you said a word as he took care of the cuts. He was used to stuff like this given his history with playing sports.</p><p>With the final bandaid in place, Kuroo set the first aid kit aside. His hands dropped down to your shoulders. You tilted your head upward and met him halfway to exchange a brief kiss. He pulled back just enough that his lips barely touched yours.</p><p>“Glad you’re okay,” he murmured, eyebrows drawn in concern.</p><p>“Are catfights as hot as they say they are? I mean, I know there wasn’t any mud or bikinis involved, so…” You tried to break the tension and it seemed to work, because he let out a defeated laugh.</p><p>“I think you definitely have a concussion.”</p><p>“No way. And since when did you get a twin?” All jokes aside, you turned toward Minoru, who had been watching worriedly. “Thanks for getting me out of there. I haven’t been carried like that since I was a kid. You okay?”</p><p>He chuckled weakly. “You’re light as a feather to me!”</p><p>“Hey, man, you’re making me look bad.” Kuroo gave him a halfhearted punch on his shoulder. “But seriously, thanks.”</p><p>You were feeling a little more relaxed by now. Your head was clear and the ugly emotions inside of you had dissipated since she was out of sight. You were still kind of processing what happened. Aiko was never violent towards you or anyone. You didn’t even think that you’d seen her kill a bug before. Maybe it was dumb, but you were concerned for her now. She was acting so unlike herself.</p><p>You reached for Kuroo’s hand as he pulled you up from your seat. You began to leave when you heard your name being called.</p><p>You froze. You knew that voice. Sure enough, when you wheeled yourself around to see who it was, you swore those eyes could’ve skewered you on the spot.</p><p>“Headmaster…?”</p><p>Her mouth sat straight across her face in a thin line, jaw clenched tight. Your blood ran cold at the acidity of her next words. “My office. Monday morning. Seven o’ clock sharp.”</p><p>Wow. High school fucking sucked.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>me @ me 6k into this chapter: ok let's end this soon<br/>me @ 10k with a finished chapter: oh</p><p>as usual, thank you guys sooo much for all your kind words and support! i would've given this fic up a long time ago without you. &lt;3</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Grayscale</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aiko was your best friend, but what do you really know about her?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank y'all so much for your comments last chapter! </p><p>I wanna warn you that this one is kind of an introspective look at Aiko's character. I promise it's to help set the stage for the next part of the fic and we'll resume our regularly scheduled Kuroo fluff next week. </p><p>If I were a professional writer, suddenly switching to 3rd person omniscient within the middle of the story would be blasphemy, but I write fan fiction and I can do what I want. :-) lol!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“AICCHAN! Pllllleeeeasseee tell Miki to stop pulling my <em>hair</em>!”</p><p>“Aiiicchhhaaannnn! Daisuke is in his room crying and won’t open the door! He says he can’t find his hat for show-and-tell!”</p><p>“Aicchan…I threw up…”</p><p>“Aicchan, my lunch box doesn’t have a cupcake! I want a cupcake, too! How come you didn’t put one? That’s no fair!”</p><p>The day started at 4 A.M. Aiko rolled out of bed and crawled to the bathroom to at least find the time to splash water on her face. The cold shock of it dripping down her nose and cheeks gave her enough energy to use the bathroom and spend the next thirty minutes in peace.</p><p>Being the middle child in a family with six other siblings was chaotic, to say the least. The age gap between her and her older brothers was considerable enough that they had moved out on their own. None of them were concerned with the amount of help their family needed. They were busy living their own lives, guilt-free and independent. They yanked those shackles right off from their wrists and ankles and stumbled face-first into a world that required none of their undivided attention.</p><p>Aiko’s mother had long shifts at the hospital where she worked as an emergency nurse. When she wasn’t trying to get at least ten minutes of rest on a cramped, decades-old boxspring mattress filled with anxiety and stress within the confines of the on-call room, she was storming through the hallways with a stethoscope at the ready and her scrubs weighed heavily with the burden of saving lives.</p><p>Her father up and split after the twins were born. He couldn’t handle the added stress of being a parent. Besides, he was busy himself – hooking up with his student-turned-teaching-assistant on their lavish getaways. He didn’t have a big need for ethics and morals, anyway. His coworkers considered his new arm candy an upgrade.</p><p>Aiko started a pot of coffee for her mother, who would be rousing soon before jetting out the door. She had just finished brewing a dark roast when her mother rushed out of the room. Her hand already went to grab for her well-used travel mug.</p><p>“I picked up an extra shift for tonight so we don’t have to defer the cable bill again this month.” Her mom glanced at the clock on the wall before guzzling down more of the bitter drink. Her taste buds had been scalded away ages ago when she was in nursing school and pouring over anatomy textbooks until dawn. “Good luck on your test today.”</p><p>“Thanks, Mom. I’ll do my best!” Aiko had other priorities, first. “Don’t forget your lunch. I made it last night!”</p><p>The house quieted again once her mom rushed out the door. Aiko made a beeline for her siblings’ rooms. She was their personal alarm clock. All of them were so used to the electronic screeches of automated ones. They wouldn’t budge unless she went in and jolted them awake.</p><p>“Good morning, everyone! Up and at ‘em! Sorry guys, it’s going to be cereal again – but I promise I’ll go back to making meals once my exam is over!”</p><p>The little ones groaned and moaned the entire way to the bathroom. The youngest siblings were just five years old. Aiko felt like a hawk in making sure teeth were brushed properly. She would never forget the week-long incident where they didn’t even use any toothpaste.</p><p>“Aicchan…um…” Her brother tugged on her shirt. “I did it again.”</p><p>She stared at his soaked front and sighed in exasperation. Soiled bedsheets that needed to be thrown in the washing machine and hung out to dry before her exam. Great, just great. She made sure to wipe away his tears before ushering him to jump into the shower to clean himself off.</p><p>Her life was a typhoon and she was the eye of the storm. Chaos followed her everywhere. She moved into the kitchen as the kids bustled around her. She was used to getting on hands and knees to mop up spilled milk and mud they tracked in. She darted back and forth to gather backpacks and slip them onto their tiny shoulders. She mediated between several fights that started from nothing.</p><p>By the time everyone left, Aiko only managed to grab an energy bar from the cupboard before darting outside to make her train to the testing center.</p><p>Hanagasaku was her dream school. She’d spent her childhood walking past the gates and wondering if a princess lived within those towering walls surrounded by a sea of flowers. When she was older, and heard how its alumni went to develop promising (and lucrative) careers, she told herself she would be one of them someday. She wanted to get the best education possible. She didn’t want to be like her ungrateful older siblings who couldn’t even be bothered to visit for the holidays, let alone lend their mom some cash.</p><p>Aiko entered the exam room and she chewed on her lower lip. All of these people were competing with her not only for the privilege of attending the school, but having it paid for. There was one scholarship available. She was determined to receive it. If she didn’t, well…she would have to figure that out later.</p><p>Among the group of people was a section that was mostly free of any students at all. Everyone within the auditorium looked…so polished. As if they were made to be here. She glanced down at her own hand-me-down outfit and felt shame creep up the back of her neck in the form of a hot flush. Where could she sit?</p><p>Aiko zeroed in on you and her eyes sparkled. She wasn’t sure what it was that she liked about you so much. Maybe it was the casual outfit you had chosen – a comfortable ensemble in lieu of looking the part for an applicant into an elite private school. Maybe it was the way you spread yourself over several seats so no one would approach you. Or maybe it was just something innate.</p><p>She marched toward you with her best sunny smile, not faltering even slightly when she plopped down next to you.</p><p><em>Come on, you have to say something. Calm down. She’s just like you! She isn’t giving you the stare like all of the other people in here. </em>“I’m so nervous,” she started, grasping at straws. “I think I’m gonna pass out!”</p><p>She waited for your response. She had to fill the silence with something, anything to keep your attention. “Plus, have you <em>seen</em> the others around? They all look super smart. Oh my god. I’m freaking out.”</p><p>“Same.”</p><p>Joy bloomed in her chest. Yes! Progress! You weren’t ignoring her outright. She was used to people finding her annoying and saying she was a try-hard. But she had to be that way. She wanted intimacy in whatever form available. She took numerous chances hoping that anyone would bite; hell, it was the reason why she confessed to more than one guy this past Valentine’s Day. None of her efforts bore fruit, but she had to keep going – someone would budge. Someone would see her for who she was!</p><p>If anything, something told her that pursuing you would be worth it. The two of you were desperate for friendship. She could sense that in you.</p><p>
  <em>This is great! I can’t wait to get to know her.</em>
</p><p>Just outside of the test hall, after a grueling hour of several mind-numbing assessments, she burst out into the fresh air. She spotted you heading down the path and found herself reaching out for you before she could think.</p><p>
  <em>Don’t let her leave without getting her number. Even if we don’t make it into the same school, maybe we can just become texting buddies. That’s better than nothing.</em>
</p><p>When Kuroo stepped into view and introduced himself, Aiko crushed on him immediately. She could tell Kuroo wasn’t interested in her. He was so busy lavishing all of his attention on you. She knew deep down it was a lost cause to even hope for anything with him. Not that it stopped her from getting flustered; he was too attractive for his own good.</p><p>She could tell you liked him, too. It was apparent in the way you stormed off after she exchanged numbers with Kuroo. She hadn’t meant to upset you. She was just so ecstatic at the prospect of not just one, but TWO possible friends in one day!</p><p>“Sorry, I gotta go after her – I don’t know why she just took off like that.” Kuroo stared off in the direction you went, his ankles already tensing for his move forward. “Nice to meet you, anyway. And uh, if she came off a little unfriendly, don’t take it personally. She’s kind of awkward around new people.”</p><p>Aiko felt relieved with that. “Of course! I’m okay with that. I really like her, she’s really…um, grounded? Like she doesn’t seem as if anything really bothers her. It’s so cool.”</p><p>“Thanks. You’re nice.” He shot her a lopsided grin before he broke into a run, leaving her behind with a fragile smile on her face.</p><p>Over the next few weeks, she waited for the results of the entrance exam with bated breath. The demands of her siblings didn’t bother her as much. Her mother forgetting her birthday didn’t sting like she thought it would. The unanswered texts she sent you were painful to look at, but it didn’t send her into a crying spell like it might have in the past.</p><p>Seeing her name in the list of prospective students had her jumping for joy. Relief flooded through her. She was caught in her high and none of her problems could possibly take that away from her.</p><p>Until the letter came in the mail.</p><p>
  <em>Watanabe Aiko,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It is my honor and privilege to welcome you to Hanagasuku Academy. Our institution has a rich, complex history in shaping the greatest minds of our time. Given the proficiency you’ve demonstrated in all areas of study, as measured by our entrance exam, we are humbled that you have chosen us.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>However, it is my deepest regret to inform you that you have not been selected for financial aid. Please understand that this scholarship is highly competitive and thousands of students applied. While your test scores were much to be proud of, we have selected a student who went above and beyond our expectations.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>We have reviewed the financial records submitted to us in your previous application. We are more than happy to negotiate payment plans with you. Please contact our office at the number below to schedule a meeting with our chief financial officer.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Best wishes,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Headmaster Tobe</em>
</p><p>Aiko’s hands shook as she read over the formal correspondence over and over. Each time her gut clenched and the bile bubbled in her throat. She glanced down at the overdue stack of bills that sat on the coffee table and tucked the note back into the envelope.</p><p>It took her days of talking herself up to take the bus to her father’s place. He had moved into a high-rise flat in the most luxurious part of the area. A building with a doorman who refused her entrance until she showed him her photo ID. He recognized her last name and let her in.</p><p>“Aiko.” The man beyond the door barely opened it wide enough for her to get a good look at him. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>“Dad, I…” She swallowed hard. “Can I come in?”</p><p>“That’s not a good idea.” He was in his robe and closed the front of it even tighter. She must have caught him in the middle of something. Or some<em>one</em>, she reasoned. He stepped into the hall and let the door close behind him. “What are you doing here? Does your mother know you’re here?”</p><p>“No. This isn’t about Mom, it’s about me. Dad, I…I got into Hanagasuku Academy.” She searched his face for any semblance of pride and found none. “You know it’s always been my dream to go there, right?”</p><p>“Yes.” His voice was neutral. He must have known what she came for after all.</p><p>Aiko took the plunge. Like diving headfirst into an icy pool in the middle of the sweltering heat, she wanted to get this over and done with. Acclimate herself to the disappointment she was sure to wade into – but she had to <em>try.</em> “Dad, I need help paying for school.”</p><p>He sighed and lifted a hand to run it across his face. “Aiko…”</p><p>“No, please! Listen to me. Jun, Riku and Hiroshi all moved out and left. Mom is struggling to make ends meet. You know I wouldn’t ask unless it was important. I tried so hard to get the scholarship and someone else beat me to it. Please. I’ll pay you back, you know I will! I won’t tell Mom you helped me. I won’t ever ask you for anything ever again!”</p><p>Her father’s gaze on her was smothering. He could care less about her plights. She saw the answer in his eyes before he even opened his mouth. “I’m sorry, Aiko, but the answer is no.”</p><p>“Why…?” She refused to cry in front of him. Her mother shed enough tears. Not only for cheating on her, but for the disgusting decision he made to prey on a student – a teenager – and groom her into his future partner. “You’re my dad! You’re supposed to help. I’m doing everything at home since you left and I just want this one thing…you’ll never hear from me after this. I’ll forget you ever existed.”</p><p>“No, Aiko.” He stepped backwards towards the door. “I made it very clear that I wanted nothing to do with you, your mother or your brothers and sisters. I have one life to live and I’m not going to waste it being miserable. Please leave before I call security.”</p><p>She stood in stunned silence as he slunk back inside. He could afford rent in a place like this. He probably spent more in a week than she would in an entire year. She found her legs had turned to lead and it took every ounce of strength for her to move forward and leave.</p><p>Headmaster Tobe sat with Aiko in her office with the chief financial officer in tow. When they asked where her parent or guardian was, Aiko lied and said her mother was ill and couldn’t make it. No one had to know about her deadbeat dad.</p><p>“After-school jobs are generally forbidden given the interference it has with our curriculum,” the headmaster told her firmly. “You will be pushed to the limit every day. We consider you an investment. If you flunk out of this school because of a distraction, that looks badly on our school’s overall graduation rate.”</p><p>“I understand.” Aiko lifted her head and looked her right in the eye. “I want to attend this school more than anyone here. If you give me this chance, I won’t let you down.”</p><p>So the year started. Aiko was enrolled in one of the most difficult schools to get accepted into and she had taken on two jobs just to be able to make her monthly payments. After school she worked at a local grocery store stocking shelves. On the weekends she was a barista at the nearby café. She kept all of her tips in a lockbox safely nestled in the depths of her closet.</p><p>The only thing that really kept her sane was your friendship. When she came into the classroom and saw you, she was relieved she knew at least one person. Someone would know her name. She was so happy when she found out you remembered exactly who she was, and that your radio silence was due to genuinely being busy rather than because you disliked her.</p><p>To Aiko, you were…everything.</p><p>You were cold, at first. A little guarded. That was fine! She was patient. She wanted a worthwhile friendship. Every day she dragged you along to do one thing or another. And every day she saw your exterior melt. She was able to coax out smiles, laughs, and later…even words of affection.</p><p>“Hey, bestie! What’s on the menu for today?”</p><p>You handed her the homemade bento without batting an eye. You’d gotten used to making them for yourself, Kuroo and Kenma. When you saw Aiko spent her lunch nibbling away at a packet of store-bought bread, you knew that it was an opportunity for you to step in and give back to her.</p><p>“Tetsurou wouldn’t stop bugging me about hamburger steak, so…” You shrugged. “You’re okay with that, right? I made sure to go easy on the pepper for yours since I know it’s kind of strong for you.”</p><p>Aiko’s heart swelled. Homecooked meals were unheard of in her household. She was always the one behind the stove since none of her siblings were old enough to cook something worth eating.</p><p>“Yay! Thank you so much!” She wrapped herself around your arm and despite the way you tensed, you shot her a warm smile in return.</p><p>“Yeah, sure. Hopefully it’s good.”</p><p>“Your cooking is the best so I’m sure it will be! If things don’t work out with Kuroo, will you marry me instead?”</p><p>“Pfft. Sure.”</p><p>Both of you stopped in the middle of the hallway when Mr. Dobashi walked your way. He greeted you with a smile, but Aiko could see that his eyes lingered on you just a little longer than she would’ve liked. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up at the sight. She had flashbacks to those days when she came home and found a pair of shoes – the same size as her own – at the entrance of her home. She remembered a teenaged girl standing in her kitchen, helping herself to something from the fridge with a smirk on her face as her father came out adjusting his tie.</p><p>Her grip on you tightened hard enough that you let out a cry of discomfort.</p><p>As the weeks went on, Aiko had her routine down to a tee. School. Home. Work. Sleep. School. Home. Work. Sleep. She spent her days in autopilot mode, chasing after her next task with a bubbly smile and all the optimism in the world.</p><p>It was a long day at the café. She had stayed up late last night – one of her younger sisters slipped and fell in the bathtub and it was Aiko’s responsibility to take her to the hospital. Minor concussion aside, her sister was fine, but Aiko was running on a max of three hours of sleep.</p><p>She kept her plastic smile on as she gathered orders at the register. Some orders were easy. Black coffee. Strawberry tea. Several of the regulars with more complex requests she completed with muscle memory.</p><p>Then he came in: a young man flanked by two women who could easily be in fashion magazines. His slicked-back hair, cloud of designer cologne and the crisp, custom suit spoke volumes about his vast wealth. He already approached the counter with an aura of condescension, his upper lip curling into a sneer when he gazed down at her from long-lashed eyes.</p><p>“Hey, ugly. Give me the usual.”</p><p>Aiko stared at him. She had never seen this guy before in her life. Her coworkers fluttered around her in their own workflow. She was so disoriented all she did was open her mouth.</p><p>“Are you fucking deaf? I <em>said</em>, give me the <em>usual</em>.”</p><p>She swallowed hard. “I…I’m sorry?”</p><p>“You’re <em>sorry</em>? I’m sorry I have to deal with an incompetent little worm. I own half the businesses on this block and you have the nerve to just stand there and look at me like I’m stupid?”</p><p>She could feel the blood rush to her face. No one was helping her. Coworkers who she’d grown close to over the year were silent. In fact, the entire café had settled down into a sea of murmurs and whispers.</p><p>“I…if you tell me what the order is, I can make it for you. I’m sorry, I don’t know…I don’t know your order.”</p><p>He chuckled and shrugged off his company with ease. “Is this a joke? Are you making fun of me?”</p><p>“No! I’m not. I swear!”</p><p>He leaned forward and she could smell the hint of alcohol on his breath. His hand snaked around her throat and he gave an experimental squeeze. “Do you want me to fucking spell it out for you? Or maybe you want me to take you in the back room and <em>show you how it’s done?</em>”</p><p>All Aiko knew was that the guy’s arms flailed in the air and he screeched. He stumbled backwards and collapsed into a nearby table, all of the drinks on top of it shooting upwards and soaking his now ruined outfit. He clawed at his face, red and raw, gasping, heaving breaths escaping from his gaping mouth.</p><p>“What happened?” The manager ran out and he blanched at the sight before him. He whirled around and fixed his furious stare on Aiko. “What did you do?!”</p><p>“I-I didn’t do anything!” Aiko exclaimed. But when she glanced down at her hands, the evidence was clear. The cup of freshly boiled water she was holding was now empty. She gasped and dropped it onto the counter, fingers trembling at her realization.</p><p>“I want that bitch <em>fired!</em>” the man roared. “Get her out of my sight!”</p><p>Aiko’s eyes welled up with tears. She reached behind her to untie her apron and realized it was stuck. She looked at her coworkers and still none of them budged. She stormed around the counter and pushed past the growing crowd who came to gawk at the fallen man.</p><p>“Are you guys serious?” The familiar voice had her freeze in her tracks. “So do all of you just let your customers harass and assault girls?”</p><p>Aiko was appalled to see Kuroo step into the shop. He looked like he’d been on a run. He was dressed in a simple tank top and sweatpants, a scowl materializing on his usually lax face.</p><p>“I don’t care who this guy is or what he owns. Seems to me that a guy so concerned with his appearances is nothing but a sniveling coward with a fragile ego.” He scanned the crowd. “Good thing I caught the whole thing on my phone, huh? I’m sure the cops will love it. It saves them from having to waste their time with interviewing a bunch of ass-kissers.”</p><p>No one said a word. Kuroo extended a hand to Aiko, which she took in hers immediately. He helped her out of the café and pulled her down the street to the nearby park. She stared at his broad back and squeezed his hand in thanks.</p><p>Once she was far enough away to process what just happened, Aiko broke down into tears. She sank onto the park bench and buried her face in her hands. Kuroo sat down next to her awkwardly, not sure whether he should try to comfort her or not.</p><p>“I’m such an <em>idiot</em>,” Aiko wailed. “I’m going to get kicked out now!”</p><p>“Whoa, calm down. You don’t need a place like that, anyway. The manager was a dick and so were your coworkers. I’m sure you’ll find another job where some asshole doesn’t try to put his hands on you.”</p><p>She shook her head. “You don’t understand! I need that money to pay for my tuition! If I can’t make my payments, I’m done!”</p><p>Kuroo assessed her with concern. He hadn’t heard you mention anything about Aiko having to work to pay for her tuition. He always assumed that her family was well off enough to take care of it outright. He wracked his brain for solutions. He could mouth off to a random jerk in a café, but being face to face with a near-hysterical teenaged girl was another story.</p><p>“Hey, it’s <em>okay</em>. Listen. You’ll find something better. You go to school with a bunch of rich kids, right? Chances are some of their parents paid their way into the school. You’re smart. You can tutor at least one of them. I guarantee you’ll make way more than what you were at that dump. I’ve already heard all about your stellar test scores, so…”</p><p>Aiko sniffled. “You have?”</p><p>“Yeah. She’s always singing praises about how well you do. I think she just tells me so she can brag on you a little bit. You’ve been good to her.”</p><p>She felt warm and fuzzy at the thought of you babbling excitedly about her. “Oh…thank you, Kuroo. I’m sorry for…freaking out! And…she’s really lucky to have you, you know.”</p><p>“Right?” He grinned. “I’m pretty much perfect, total husband material. Be sure to remind her once in a while.”</p><p>They both exchanged a fit of shaky laughter. Aiko rubbed at her eyes and let out a hiss in pain. She forgot she had on mascara and liquid eyeliner and now it had absorbed into her eyes. She blinked rapidly so the cool air would soothe the burn.</p><p>“Turn towards me a sec.” Kuroo pulled out a rag from his pocket. “I carry this one me to get the sweat out of my eyes on my runs. Hey, don’t gimme that look – this is clean, promise.”</p><p>“Why don’t you just wear a sweatband?” she asked, dabbing away the ruined makeup.</p><p>“Because it doesn’t go along with my cool hairstyle.”</p><p>She thought she was finished until he took it from her. His finger rested underneath her chin so he could gaze at the long dark streak she’d missed. He wiped off the last remnants of her breakdown as she stared at him in awe. No guy had ever been this gentle or attentive toward her before. He was so…kind.</p><p>Kuroo treated her to ice cream and it distracted her enough that she forgot all about the incident earlier. She felt brave enough not to worry about retaliation from the manager or the jerk who put his hands on her. Kuroo admitted he actually didn’t have any physical evidence and she told him it was fine; she wasn’t interested in going to the police, anyway. She just wanted to file the experience away like it never happened.</p><p>“Thanks for…um, sticking up for me.” The two of them lingered at the bus station together. Kuroo was going to head home so this was where they would split up. “I’m going to ask around on Monday and see who needs tutoring.”</p><p>“Cool. Keep us posted.” He checked his phone and shot off a few quick texts.</p><p>“You really love her, huh?” Aiko’s face softened. He had this goofy grin on his face the entire time he stared at your contact picture.</p><p>Kuroo caught himself before the shock of her words showed on his face. “Yeah. It’s kind of embarrassing how long I’ve wanted to date her. Still can’t believe we’re together sometimes.”</p><p>“Well, I believe it. You two are perfect for each other. I’m almost jealous!”</p><p>He shrugged. “I’m sure there’s a guy out there for you, too. Just don’t settle for anything less than what you deserve, no matter how pressured you might feel to jump into something.”</p><p>Aiko watched him go through the bus window and exhaled. She could still remember the warmth of his calloused hand in hers. She marveled at the size difference for a few moments longer before she leaned back and hoped the house hadn’t burned down while she was gone.</p><p>Thanks to Kuroo’s advice, Aiko did find a student who was looking for a private tutor. Funnily enough, it was a second-year. They should’ve been the ones far more advanced than she was, but Kuroo was right. A lot of these girls spent their time goofing off and letting their parents worry about how they would graduate.</p><p>“So about your friend Fatty,” the girl drawled, tugging on a piece of gum between her teeth. “Does she ever talk about how she managed to snag Dobashi, or what?”</p><p>Aiko’s blood ran cold. “What?”</p><p>“Girl, it’s obvious they’re hooking up. Everyone knows it. He’s pretty much given every single one of us the cold shoulder besides her. Haven’t you noticed?”</p><p>“No…no way! She’s not like that, she’d never…date a teacher. Besides, she has a boyfriend, remember?”</p><p>“Don’t be naïve. Dobashi has the biggest hard-on for her. Don’t you remember what happened last week? She dropped her books in the hallway and he blew off like two other girls to help her pick them up. His finger brushed up against hers and neither of them reacted. Then, not two seconds later, he says he needs to talk to her in private.”</p><p>Aiko laughed nervously and she waved her hand. “No, no. She lent him some kind of book that she’d been reading in her free time and he returned it.”</p><p>“Then why couldn’t they have done it in the hallway? You know why? Because he took her to his office, locked the door, and the two of them had one of their frequent school-day quickies. I’m not joking, Watanabe. He is <em>obsessed</em> with her.”</p><p> Aiko was furious. How could anyone even suggest something like that? She felt her skin prickle as beads of sweat formed near her hairline. You weren’t like them. You were well-rounded. You didn’t spend your time hounding after a grown man.</p><p>“I have a feeling the two of them knew each other before she even applied. I mean, let’s be real. She somehow managed to get the <em>only</em> scholarship for the school and she just <em>happens </em>to be buddy-buddy with her homeroom teacher, too?”</p><p>Oh. Aiko had no idea that you were the one who got the full ride to Hanagasaku. She always wondered and suspected it was someone from another class. Part of her was proud that her best friend was so successful. The other part had the deep burn of envy settle in the middle of her chest. It didn’t help that the guilt from those ugly thoughts wormed its way in her head, too.</p><p>“You’re wrong. I know the type of person she is. She’s…smart, funny, and super nice.”</p><p>“Hmm. Bo-ring.” The other girl flipped over on her back and stared at her high-vaulted ceiling. “So like, why are you even tutoring? Do you really need the cash that badly?”</p><p>She hesitated to answer. It didn’t matter, because her classmate picked up on her hesitation like a shark scenting for blood.</p><p>“Oooh. That’s right. You two are both friends because you’re like, poor or whatever. That’s so nice of you guys to stick together. But oh my god, I just had the <em>best</em> idea. So my dad was supposed to buy me a car for my birthday next month. Except he’s so focused on his upcoming campaign that he keeps blowing me off. I figure, what if we kill two birds with one stone? He donates to your cause, he seems like a stand-up guy, he gets those backers and fundraisers and he’ll <em>finally</em> get me that Tesla. I mean, like, I’m doing my part in helping the environment by driving it, right?”</p><p>Aiko told herself she wouldn’t stoop low enough to beg. Not like the last time she approached her dad. But the idea of not having to work…it meant a lot. It would give her more time to spend at home in helping the kids. She could stop relying on neighbors to come in and out of the house so often.</p><p>“You would do that? For me?”</p><p>“Sure. Like I said, it’s charity.” She smirked. “But I want something in exchange.”</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>She leaned forward and cupped her hand around Aiko’s ear. “I want you to <em>open your eyes</em> and really take a long, hard look at Fatty and Dobashi. Okay, sweetie?”</p><p>“Yeah. Okay, I will.” <em>No chance</em>, Aiko thought bitterly. <em>You guys have no idea what you’re even talking about.</em></p><p>Since the day that Kuroo helped her, he and Aiko had been chatting back and forth. She was usually the one to initiate conversations. She asked him about all sorts of things. She realized she didn’t know much about him and wanted to rectify that. The more that she texted him, the more she realized that she was crushing hard on him.</p><p>And it sucked. Because he was your boyfriend. He was head over heels for you. She knew there was no way he would drop you and date her. But Aiko was someone whose mantra was always “you won’t know unless you try”.</p><p>So as you excused yourself to use the bathroom after the three of you talked outside the school gates, Aiko asked Kuroo if she could speak with him in private. She took him around the corner of the wall and fumbled with the hem of her shirt, cheeks rosy and breathing labored.</p><p>“Um…Kuroo…I really like you.”</p><p>The silence that followed was crushing. She was relieved she’d gotten it off her chest even if she knew that the rejection was coming.</p><p>“Well, thanks,” Kuroo stammered. “Sorry, is this a joke or something?”</p><p>“No.” She swallowed. “I know you probably think I’m horrible for telling you, but I can’t keep spending time with you unless I told you face to face. But don’t misunderstand me, okay? I-I know how much you love her, and…I’m not going to hound you or anything like that. I really am your guys’ biggest fan – but I thought you should know how I feel, too.”</p><p>He squinted at her. “Yeah…so…you already know there’s just no way. I don’t see you that way like, at all. I’m pretty sure I’m ruined for life because of that girl.”</p><p>Aiko laughed under her breath. “Oh, I know. You guys are like walking romcom protagonists. I wouldn’t ever dream of coming between you. She’s…my best friend I wouldn’t ever let a guy come between us.”</p><p>Kuroo was relieved at her sincerity. He’d been confessed to a couple of times in junior high and it never got any less awkward when turning them down. “I’m glad. She really cares about you and it would really suck if you guys split up because of me. It’s my fault for being so irresistible, I get it.”</p><p>She pushed his chest lightly. “Don’t let this puff up your self-esteem too much! It’s not every day some really cute guy comes to your rescue. And, um…could you not let her know about this? I don’t want her to worry.”</p><p>“That’s probably a good idea.” He ran his hand through his hair. “No hard feelings?”</p><p>“No! Of course not. Although…could I ask you a question?”</p><p>“Shoot.”</p><p>She swallowed and pulled down her sleeves so that they covered everything but the tips of her fingers. “Why did you fall for her?”</p><p>“Why?” His face went blank. She could see the reflection of passing students in his eyes as he stared off into space. When he came to, his cheeks were slightly pinker than usual. A sheepish grin had spread across his face. “She can dish it out just as much as she can take it, she keeps me on my toes. Brains, beauty, all that good stuff. And yeah, she can be moody, anxious, insecure and a little too serious for her own good sometimes. But despite all that, she’s got a big heart. She may talk a big game, she might make mistakes…but she owns up to them. She would do anything for the few people who push hard enough for her to let them in. Even if it interferes with her own happiness.”</p><p>Aiko felt her face grow warm with his words. For the briefest moment, she imagined that the passion in his gaze was all for her. She tucked that thought away somewhere safe.</p><p>“Hey,” you called out to them both. “I ran into this girl in the bathroom and she said the vending machine gave her two extra drinks. Here.”</p><p>You handed the melon soda to Aiko, whose eyes lit up. This was her favorite. What were the chances that the vending machine just happened to dispense it? Slim to none. She wondered why you were so bashful when doing nice things for your friends. Kuroo popped open the iced coffee can without a word and chugged it in nearly in one go.</p><p>“Aren’t you thirsty?” Aiko asked, brows furrowed. In your last period you’d been the one picked to read a rather long passage to the class since your English skills were far above theirs.</p><p>“I’m good,” you lied, shooting her a smile before Kuroo snatched your hand to drag you down the street. “See you tomorrow.”</p><p>Aiko spent the weeks leading up to summer break trying to keep afloat. The girl she tutored was making progress, if a lot slower than she would’ve liked. She was able to quit her job at the grocery store so that gave her far more time at home. It should’ve been a good thing, since she could take the burden off the neighborhood ladies who pitied her mom, but it was hard taking on all of the responsibility for her siblings.</p><p>Her phone went off and she glanced down at the notification. It was from the girl she was tutoring. It was a video of you and Mr. Dobashi in the courtyard surrounded by the lush trees and flowers. He had taken his spot next to you on a bench and the way he leaned in to speak to you quietly was off-putting. It looked…intimate. Aiko’s fingers trembled as she held the phone. What could be possibly be saying that would capture your attention like that?</p><p>Then her stomach dropped. Mr. Dobashi was exchanging phone numbers with you. Why? He was a teacher. In what context would it be appropriate for him to have your personal information? She couldn’t see your expression. She couldn’t tell whether you were being coerced into it.</p><p>She wanted to ask you about it. The first week of summer break you made the excuse you were caught up in some family stuff. You had gotten much better about texting her these days, but her messages were getting fewer responses than normal.</p><p>Aiko was sure you were back after a few days. She wanted to see you. So one night she called you instead. You picked up and seemed a little irritated.</p><p>“Hey, what’s up?”</p><p>“I haven’t seen you yet! Remember that new horror movie everyone’s been talking about? We should go tomorrow!”</p><p>You sighed. “Sorry, I’ve got plans.”</p><p>“Oh…hanging out with Kuroo?”</p><p>“Uh…no.” You didn’t seem too interested in elaborating. “Sorry. Is there anything else you needed? I’m kind of busy right now.”</p><p>“Um…okay, that’s fine! I’ll check on you later, then.”</p><p>Aiko knew you wouldn’t be able to resist if she invited Kuroo out, too. He was persuasive enough to lure you out of your safe haven at the house. She texted him for a chance so all of you could meet up together.</p><p>Except…when she showed up to the meeting place at the mall, you were nowhere to be found. She spent five minutes waiting before Kuroo strolled through the front doors.</p><p>“’Sup?” he greeted her. “She’s not here yet?”</p><p>“No…” Aiko chewed on her lower lip. “She’s been kind of off lately, haven’t you noticed?”</p><p>“Eh. She gets like that sometimes when she’s got a bunch of free time.” He shrugged. “She’d be here already if she was coming, or at least calling me frantically to make sure we didn’t split without her.” He chuckled. “Let’s just walk around. Maybe she’ll change her mind and show up.”</p><p>Aiko felt guilty for swooning at the notion of spending time with Kuroo alone. “Okay! Let’s go, then! Hey, are you okay with action movies? I’ve been dying to see this one.”</p><p>The time they spent together was relaxing. For once Aiko didn’t have to worry about the stress of work, school or the lingering thoughts about Mr. Dobashi. They shared some popcorn and he bought her a souvenir cup, though he said it was an apology for you being a flake.</p><p>“How are things with the tutoring gig?”</p><p>“Oh, it’s okay. It pays the bills.”</p><p>Aiko reclined on the grassy hill as they stared across the field. Kuroo had recognized some fellow volleyball players and she was content to stand back and watch for a few rounds. He eventually roped her into a game and she didn’t do as poorly as she thought she would. Both of them sipped at their water bottles and let the cool breeze dry their sweat.</p><p>“It gives me more time to take care of things at home.” She tore a blade of grass from the dirt and inspected it. “Mom has the night shift every day for the next two weeks. Which means I have to be home early enough to make sure she eats something.”</p><p>“Don’t think I know much about your family.”</p><p>She felt strange confessing this to him, especially because you two hadn’t discussed it before. You didn’t push her for information which was a relief to her. She didn’t like airing out her dirty laundry. Kuroo, though…he was a good guy. He saw her at her worst and never judged her for it.</p><p>“Not much to know! My dad split and it’s just me, my mom and three of my siblings in the house.”</p><p>“Sheesh. Sounds like a lot of work.”</p><p>“It is. I’ve caught them calling me ‘mom’ a few times…it’s not a good feeling.”</p><p>She and Kuroo talked a little more about her past. She even cried a once. Instead of using it as an excuse to leave, he patted her back and made her feel so much better. She appreciated his advice and attention. With each passing minute she fell for him even more. Kindness was the foundation for love, wasn’t it?</p><p>For the next few weeks, while you gave her radio silence, Aiko invited Kuroo out. She knew that she put him between a rock and a hard place. Even if he wanted to say no, he was her confidant now. She could sit back and chat for hours with him about what happened during the day, how she hadn’t seen her mom in days because of the work shifts, how her little brother cut off his own hair with a pair of garden shears for no reason other than he wanted to look like his favorite superhero.</p><p>She even told him, with teary eyes, how she was so overwhelmed with things sometimes. She had to stay up for nearly twenty-four hours just to make sure she studied enough for school. She thought she could handle working and school, but even with just the tutoring job she felt trapped, stifled. She barely passed the last exam before summer break and she had to speak with her teacher after class. She expressed discomfort with Mr. Dobashi calling on you multiple times during the day, too.</p><p> “All of the girls say that the two of them are dating. I keep telling them it’s not true. It makes me so mad, he’s so creepy! He stares at her during class all the time. One time he stopped her from tripping over something and held her shoulder for like five whole seconds!”</p><p>Kuroo looked pained with the new information. “She’s never told me any of this before.”</p><p>“Because it’s gross! And who’s going to believe her if she speaks up about him harassing her? There’s nothing illegal with him giving her brief contact or singling her out. I want to complain so bad, but she keeps saying it’s not a big deal and that she’s fine.”</p><p>He was silent for a moment. “There’s no way she’d cheat on me, right?” He laughed, though it sounded strained. “Not with a teacher. Not with anyone.”</p><p>“Of course she wouldn’t!” Aiko felt her blood boil at the idea of it. “She isn’t like that total bitch who ran off with my dad. No way. She’s always doing the right thing.”</p><p>“Yeah.” Kuroo didn’t sound entirely convinced for some reason. “You’re right.”</p><p>Her words came back to bite her in the ass just days later. She stood in front of the café, having been instructed to grab some drinks for the girl she was tutoring. She stood in stunned silence as she saw Mr. Dobashi approach you near the alley like some kind of secret tryst from a bad romance movie. She watched you follow him into the complex – the very same that her father lived in. She watched as the two of you exited together, in good spirits, animated and barely able to keep your eyes off each other. She saw you sit down and share some snacks and drinks in your own little world. She hadn’t realized she’d taken pictures until she stared down at her phone, hands shaking, nausea grabbing hold of her.</p><p>She turned heel, dashed down the street, and vomited into a nearby trash can.</p><p>This wasn’t right.</p><p>This wasn’t right.</p><p>It couldn’t have been you. But it was.</p><p>It couldn’t have been Mr. Dobashi. But it was.</p><p>She felt the betrayal all over again. How she came home that day and found her father’s student in the kitchen wearing his shirt and nothing else. The smirk on her face. How her father stumbled out and had the nerve - the audacity! - to lie to her face with some kind of story that they got caught in the rain. How her father spent longer and longer nights away from home. How her pregnant mother took more shifts at the hospital just to avoid seeing him. How she found all of her father’s belongings gone just days after the twins were delivered, no note, no phone call, nothing. How she spotted him and his own former student walking along the shopping distract, how she begged him to come home, how he said he had no idea who she even was and kept going.</p><p>How could you? How could you do that? To her? To Kuroo? To your friends, family and boyfriend? All of those times she admired you and told herself that if she had a sliver of your talent and intelligence she would be set for life. She found herself envying nearly everything in your life. A full ride to Aiko’s dream school. A handsome, caring boyfriend who would do anything for you. Being surrounded by a bunch of male friends who never even glanced Aiko’s way when she showed up.</p><p>Why?</p><p>She was in a rage that night. Everything clicked. Mr. Dobashi hovering over you at school, the private conversations, the way he always picked you first to answer the questions he asked the class. She felt stupid for ever believing in you. All of those girls were right about you. You were a horrible person who pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes. It made her <em>sick</em>.</p><p>She hit the send button on the message to Kuroo and felt her anger ebb away, if only for a few moments.</p><p>Aiko tried to find him. She was desperate. She wanted someone to commiserate with. She stood outside of Nekoma and waited for him to come out. He refused to entertain her, power-walking away before she could get a word in.</p><p>“<em>Tetsurou!</em>” she shouted, his first name coming to her lips with ease. “Wait! We need to talk about this!” Her voice was shrill. Her eyes were glassy. She reached out to his retreating form and wished he would turn around and give him that soft smile she had been dreaming about for the last few weeks.</p><p>She had to get him to see who you really were. You were a snake. A liar. A <em>slut</em>. She sought you out that day you met because something told her you were different. That you could be <em>friends</em>. Instead, you strung her and Kuroo along for months. You pretended to be sweet just to get them to let their guard down. You played them both! You made a mockery of love, of relationships, of trust!</p><p>Kuroo refused to talk to her. She was frantic. She tried to tell the newspaper club the truth and they laughed in her face! They said it was bullshit! She felt like she was going crazy! So many people disregarded her evidence. She event sent it to the damn headmaster who did <em>nothing</em> about it! Because why would she? You were the perfect little student on a scholarship. If they pursued action against you and Mr. Dobashi, that would just look bad on them, wouldn’t it?</p><p>She fumed. She watched as countless people supported you through this ordeal. She tried one last time to track Kuroo down. She found him in public and chased after him, nearly barreling into him so he would stop.</p><p>“Watanabe, look—”</p><p>Since when did he call her by her last name?! She nearly broke down right there.</p><p>“Tetsurou, listen to me. Don’t hear her out. She’s got everyone wrapped around her finger and you know it! I’m begging you. Cut her out of your life, you deserve someone so much better! Someone who won’t betray you! Someone like <em>me</em>!”</p><p>She couldn’t take back those words. The disgust on Kuroo’s face was evident.</p><p>“Listen, this…thing is all kinds of fucked up. Don’t use this as a way to try and get me together with you. That’s low and not who you are.”</p><p>She felt fresh tears in her eyes. “You don’t see what I have! When she’s around him, she lights up. She was so happy when she was out on that date. I’ve never seen her like that – not even with you. You chase after her all the time and she makes it seem like such a chore when she’s with you! Like you’re annoying! Do you know how upsetting it is? To see her…treat you like that…and turn around and talk to Mr. Dobashi like he was her lover?”</p><p>“Hey, enough.” He shook her off his arm. “Just…leave me alone. You said what you had to. I don’t want anything more to do with you.”</p><p>“What? Why?” She stood in front of him and felt so, so small. “You’re…my friend.”</p><p>“You’re acting crazy. You keep spamming me with texts and you’re in my ear trying to get me to turn against her. Even if you were upset with her, you’d never do something like that before. I think you’re using this whole thing as an excuse to get us to break up so you can date me. You just said so yourself. It’s not healthy for you to keep hounding us like this. So…remember what’s really important – your future and your family – and leave us both alone.”</p><p>Aiko watched him go and something inside her shattered. No friends to call her own. The newspaper club took your side. So did Kuroo. Even some random people from another school who she never met. Mr. Dobashi would continue to teach. She felt broken in every way possible with no hope of things ever improving.</p><p>Makoto, the kendo club president, approached her about starting a volleyball club. She quickly became Aiko's only saving grace. She listened to her ramblings. The two of them spent time together after school when they could. When she invited Aiko out to her martial arts competition, she thought it would be a great opportunity to get her mind off things.</p><p>Then she saw Kuroo. Then she saw <em>herself</em> approach him, babbling about how they belonged together. She saw you together with more guys, random guys, guys who chased after you like puppies. She saw herself reach out and thread her fingers through your hair, tugging backwards hard enough that your body crashed to the ground. She saw herself being lifted up by Makoto and carted off to the side, her frantic screaming causing heads to swivel.</p><p>The next thing she knew, she was here. Sitting in the headmaster’s office. Waiting for the doors to close on this chapter of her life.</p><p>“Watanabe, you’ll be suspended for a week.”</p><p>A week. That was it? Aiko lifted her head and gazed at the authoritative woman, whose usually shrewd look was replaced with an odd hint of pity. “I’m…not expelled?”</p><p>“No. Not today. Unless you’d like me to.” The headmaster sat on the corner of her desk and those long legs crossed over one another. Her black heels gleamed in the fluorescent lights as a splash of red peeked out from the bottom of them. “I discussed the issue with your classmate earlier. She gave me another solution.”</p><p>Aiko was numb. Should she feel grateful? Relieved? Was this some lame attempt for her to forgive you? She didn’t know what to say. Her saliva dried out and her tongue felt tacky as it rested against the roof of her mouth.</p><p>“She gave you another chance. I suggest you take it.”</p><p>Aiko stared down at her hands with nails chewed down to the nub. She wanted to tear them off when she realized your face was embedded with her scratch marks. She searched herself for any kind of emotional response to the woman’s words and found none.</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“That I can’t tell you. If it were me, you’d be escorted off school grounds today. She said you’re a good person. That you deserve to be here. I can’t say I’m convinced, but she was adamant.” The headmaster took a few careful steps to her nearby window and peered through the blinds, a hint of a smile on her lips. “Would you like to know what our agreement was?”</p><p>Aiko tried to come back with a snarky reply and found she couldn’t. “Yes. Please.”</p><p>“Very well.”</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Poor Bokuto. He showed up with balloons, flowers, everything. Kuroo laughed like a hyena when he found out.</p><p>Thanks for sticking with this chapter! I know some people detest OCs and don't care, which hey - you are totally valid! Promise this is just a means to an end.</p><p>See you guys next week!!!</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Rise and Fall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nekoma and Fukurodani are vying for a spot at Spring High and you're just along for the ride.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm soooo sorry this chapter is late! I wasn't feeling well this weekend and I was so bummed when I realized I wasn't going to make my deadline. I hope you guys enjoy this one. :(</p><p>Also, because I'm a huge dumby, I completely messed up the timeline for Spring High...sdfjknfakld; so please just go with the flow. Technically what I've described would've happened in the summer, but...yeah. Any volleyball geeks out there...forgive me...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You stared down at the stark black ink crawling across the crisp sheet. The characters blended together if your eyes lost focus enough, swirling together just enough for you to discern several keywords amongst the text. Your signature glared back at you. You’d been so busy re-checking your work that you hadn’t realized the person in front of you had moved.</p><p>“Hey. Pay attention,” the older woman behind you snapped. “I don’t have all day.”</p><p>You didn’t spare her a glance. Places like this were notorious for spiking people’s blood pressure. It didn’t help that the office would be closing soon. You wanted to get out of here as fast as possible. You’d been given permission to leave class early, but that didn’t mean that you wanted to waste all of your allotted free time here.</p><p>You waited to be called. There were several taped lines on the carpeted floors to guide people along the maze of the lobby. You followed it with diligence, padding softly along, keeping your gaze ahead to the uninterested woman behind the counter.</p><p>You felt nervous even though you knew for sure everything was in order. You were so anal about making sure you didn’t make an ass out of yourself that you’d pored over the instructions with a fine-toothed comb. If you were sent away, you would be embarrassed and disappointed with yourself.</p><p>She thumbed through the pages, asking you questions you already knew she would. You answered as politely as you could even though you could sense she was already tired of seeing you hovering nervously at her window. She reached for her stamp and pounded it against the crisp desk before her. Her long, manicured nails clacked against the keys as she entered the information.</p><p>“Is everything correct?” She turned her screen toward you. You took your time in scrutinizing it to make sure nothing was misspelled.</p><p>“Yes. It is.”</p><p>“Mmhm.” She swiveled it back around so she could finish the process.</p><p>You rocked back and forth on your heels, eyes drifting to the sparse decorations along the office. Aside from a few photographs on the wall and a flag positioned near the main doors, there was nothing worth noting.</p><p>“Everything’s in order. Processing takes about five business days. We’ll give you a call when it’s ready to be picked up.”</p><p>You sighed in relief. All of the tension you hadn’t realized you’d been holding sloughed off your shoulders. “Thank you very much.”</p><p>She didn’t even spare you another word. “Next!”</p><p>You hurried out of the building and only after you burst out into fresh air did you feel like you could breathe again. You closed your eyes and relished the distant sounds of the city before you. Inside, the walls were thick and cancelled everything out. It was stifling in there, as if all the joy within each person had been sucked out and tucked away someplace safe. As much as you didn’t enjoy the growing crowds pushing along the sidewalks, you were glad to at least blend in.</p><p>At least that part was over with. For you, it was the biggest hurdle you needed to overcome in a long while. Even though the results loomed over your head, you still had some time to pretend that everything was normal.</p><p>The original plan was to head home and tidy up, but your phone went off before you could even board the bus. It was from the group chat you made with Yukie and Kaori. Once you read over their request, you knew that you couldn’t say no. With as much enthusiasm as you could muster, you followed the familiar route that would take you straight to Fukurodani.</p><p>“Anything else I can help with?”</p><p>“Nope! I think we’re all good here.” Kaori brushed her forehead with the back of her hand, looking wholly satisfied with the stack of volleyballs you helped her round up. The practice had gone on much longer than you anticipated, but she didn’t seem too bothered by it. Yukie’s make-up exam must have been coming to a close soon. You didn’t mind stepping in to lend a hand.</p><p>You waited by the utility room doors as she locked them up. “I don’t know how you can keep up with all of this stuff. Being a manager sounds like a glorified babysitter position.”</p><p>She giggled. “Kinda! I mean, it’s more like a daycare teacher. You make sure they’re fed and well-rested, send them off to play, clean up after them…but heck, I guess that means I’ll be more than ready once I have kids of my own!”</p><p>That got a laugh out of you, too. “How’d your chemistry exam go? The one you started a study group for.”</p><p>“Don’t remind me. I’m trying to repress that memory.” She sighed. “Being a manager is pretty tough when you’ve got school on your plate, too. I think that’s why I’m so happy Yukie is here, too. We make a good team.”</p><p>You headed toward the exit and made sure to grab your jackets before you left. It was a little nippy outside and a warm drink sounded like heaven right now.</p><p>The rest of the team up and split right as the coach ended practice. As much as they all would’ve wanted to stick around and practice until they were scuffed up and could barely move, the most important thing right now was their overall health. Like Kaori said – rest was important, and a balanced sleep schedule and diet was key in helping them maintain their success with their games this season.</p><p>It was a miracle that you even managed to get Bokuto to head home. He begged you for the chance to wait so he could walk you home, but Kaori was pretty fierce with him. He ended up pouting the entire way out the door.</p><p>You had just stepped outside the school gates when you heard a resolute voice not too far away from you.</p><p>“Oh…Flower.”</p><p>You were about to keep going when Kaori stopped you with a gentle tug on your hand. You turned to glance at her. She pointed back toward the figure who lingered by the spot you’d just walked by.</p><p>You blinked and observed the person who had his eyes locked on you, wondering what they could possibly want. You decided to approach the slender, dark-haired boy. “Sorry, you must have me confused for someone else.”</p><p>“No. You’re from Hanagasuku.” He nodded to your somewhat askew uniform for emphasis. “Hana. Flower. That’s how I remembered you.”</p><p>You searched his face once more and tried to place him in your memories. He was so calm it was almost eerie, so unlike other boys his age. There was a veil of maturity that shrouded his entire form. Probably the most striking thing about him was the color of his irises which glittered in the setting sun. “Sorry, I don’t remember you.”</p><p>“We only spoke once. It was during a game – Nekoma versus Fukurodani.”</p><p>You gasped. “Oh! Yes! I’m so sorry, I do remember you. We sat together in the bleachers. It’s nice to see you again.” You told him your name for a proper introduction, which he seemed to absorb almost immediately. Despite the sleepy stare on his face, it was obvious he was paying close attention to your words.</p><p>“I’m Akaashi Keiji.”</p><p>“Nice to meet you, Akaashi. What’re you doing here?”</p><p>His dark eyes drifted over to the looming school ahead. “Dropping off some paperwork for next year. I haven’t taken the entrance exam yet, but Fukurodani requires several applications and recommendations.”</p><p>“I’m sure you’re a shoe-in. This is Suzumeda Kaori, one of the assistant managers for the volleyball team.”</p><p>“You play volleyball?” Kaori’s interest was piqued almost instantly. She leaned forward to look over his physique, particularly his hands. It was obvious from the pattern of the callouses that he was a setter. Her eyes narrowed and you could practically see the gears turning in her head.</p><p>“Yes, I do.”</p><p>You shot him a small smile. “That’s great. When you get into Fukurodani, you should join the team. They have some extremely talented players who would be happy to have you, I’m sure.” You didn’t want to keep him too long, especially because it was getting late. “Hey, are you free this weekend?”</p><p>He seemed taken aback by your question. When you realized how it sounded, you immediately cursed yourself for being so careless. Still, he didn’t seem too put off by it. “I am.”</p><p>“You might already be aware, but the Tokyo Prefecture Spring Interhigh Qualifiers are going on. Fukurodani is going to be there and you’d have a chance to see everyone in action. It’d give you a feel for the team. You seemed interested when they were playing earlier in the year.”</p><p>Akaashi considered your words for a moment. “Will you be there?”</p><p>Kaori giggled. You shot her a look, flustered at her wiggling eyebrows. “Yeah, actually. My boyfriend plays for Nekoma and I’ll be there to support him.”</p><p>He nodded so slightly you wouldn’t have seen it if you hadn’t been zeroing in on him. “I’ll go. Thank you for inviting me.”</p><p>“Sure. No problem.” You linked your arm around Kaori’s so you could drag her off. “See you then!” She almost dug her heels into the ground but eventually stumbled after you, both of you making a beeline down the street towards the bus stop.</p><p>Once you had rounded the corner and you were positive you weren’t within hearing distance any longer, Kaori wiggled out of your grasp and gave you that all-knowing grin. You scowled at her in response.</p><p>“You threw the boyfriend card out pret-ty quickly.”</p><p>“Because you were being weird!” you exclaimed. “Now he probably thinks we’re <em>both</em> weirdos with the way we just ran off.”</p><p>“I don’t know…he’s the one who gave you a cute nickname. ‘Flower’. Oh man, I <em>have</em> to tell Kuroo!” She whipped out her phone and you snatched it from her before she could type anything out. “Come on! He has to know that a kid from junior high has a crush on you. I think it’s cute.”</p><p>“He called me that because of my school! It wasn’t a nickname.”</p><p>“You’re his <em>flower</em>~”</p><p>Despite her teasing, Kaori wouldn’t have sent off anything to Kuroo since she knew it would’ve really upset you. You knew her well enough for that. Still, it was so embarrassing the way she reacted when Akaashi talked to you. She had to be mistaken. He seemed like a very serious and quiet guy; going to a series of high-stakes game might’ve been overwhelming for him. He probably just wanted to know at least one familiar person before agreeing to go.</p><p>Kaori finally put her phone away as a means of truce. She adjusted the base of her ponytail and brushed several loose strands of hair away from her face. “Thanks for coming by.”</p><p>“Yup. Tetsurou has been hard at work so I really don’t want to ruin his concentration.”</p><p>“I bet he misses you.”</p><p>“It’s only been a week or so.” You sighed and fixed your gaze on the bus stop ahead. Kaori would walk the rest of the way home on her own. She really didn’t live too far away. She offered to go at least halfway to your house earlier, but you declined. “See you on Saturday.”</p><p>“I’ll make sure to save a seat for flower boy!”</p><p>“Ugh! Kaori!!!”</p><p>You had to admit, you were excited for the games this weekend. Nekoma and Fukurodani had a chance to be in an official match together. Everyone had been training so hard for a chance to go Spring High and become national champions. Even though you knew Kuroo wasn’t nearly as polished as he would’ve liked, you weren’t going to discourage him from shooting for that goal. He busted his ass every single day after school. The least you could do was keep your distance so he could concentrate. Even if you did miss him.</p><p>You and Kenma would head to the competition together, so he decided to stay the night. By the time you got home he was already dressed down in his pajamas, hunched over the controller as he traversed through the convoluted puzzles of Silent Hill 2. You greeted him and made your way to the kitchen. He picked up food for both of you which meant you didn’t have to cook.</p><p>You settled down next to him and prepared your brain for the confusing map, aimless wandering, pixelated nurses with their titties out, and challenging game mechanics. Seriously, what kind of game filled with monsters only gave you limited ammunition? Melee fighting as so much harder, especially with those damn creepers springing up everywhere.</p><p>“Any sign of Pyramid Head yet?”</p><p>Kenma chuckled. “No. You’ll be the first to know.”</p><p>“Hey, it’s not my fault they made him a hulking monster with sexual overtones wielding a giant sword. They knew what they were doing!”</p><p>You ate while Kenma played, then you switched off so the game didn’t have to stop. You had to admit, as difficult as the game was on your brain, it was pretty fun. You were so engrossed in it that you didn’t even hear the phone vibrate against the arm of the couch.</p><p>Kenma picked up. It must’ve been Kuroo – he wouldn’t have done so otherwise. “Hey. Yeah, we’re both here. Hmm? Okay.” He stood up without another thought and made his way to the door to unlock it. You paused the game and craned your neck to see who it was.</p><p>“Since when do you lock the door?” Kuroo chuckled, breezing in as if he had been expected all along. “I forgot the spare at home.”</p><p>“I thought you were going to stay at your place tonight.” Kenma rubbed one of his arms. Kuroo dropped the gym bag to the ground as he shucked off his shoes. He looked beat.</p><p>“I was, but then I heard you guys were having a party and got pretty lonely.” His smirk said otherwise.</p><p>“More like you missed her so much you couldn’t stand to be away any longer.” Kenma chuckled and left for the kitchen. He grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and tossed it Kuroo’s way, which the latter caught with ease. He tugged the cap off and guzzled it down, Adam’s apple bobbing with every swallow.</p><p>As happy as you were to see him, you knew he needed to be well-rested tonight. “You really should go home, Tetsurou.”</p><p>“Not you too,” he groaned. He strutted over to where you were and sank down into the cushion next to you. You could smell him from here. Not that it was a bad thing, but it was pretty strong. It didn’t help that his arm draped over your shoulders and he drew in closer. His lips met your cheek and you could tell that his hands were clammy from the cold outside.</p><p>“Did you at least bring a change of clothes?” Kenma settled down at his designated spot and picked up the game where you left off, unbothered that you’d somehow managed to get your ass beat in the short time he took his eyes off the screen earlier.</p><p>“I started moving a bunch of my stuff in here over the past few months.” Kuroo grinned at him, unabashedly proud of that fact. “Hey, don’t throw pillows at me for telling the truth!”</p><p>You grabbed another one and held it in front of his face for emphasis. “What he means is, I steal enough of his clothes that he’s always got some lying around here.”</p><p>“How do you even end up with so much of his stuff?”</p><p>You sighed. “Because. He’s lazy and he leaves stuff here all the time, then refuses to come by and pick it up.”</p><p>“Like I said,” Kuroo muttered, leaning in dangerously close to you. “I’ve been moving in. Those abandoned clothes aren’t accidents.”</p><p>You had to admit, the thought of living together was nice. It just wasn’t going to happen, though. You could picture going for it a couple of years down the line once you got into your respective universities. Not that you would tell him that – especially when he looked so smug he thought he’d been pulling one over on you all this time.</p><p>You managed to push him off the couch so he would shower. When he came back out, he did look exhausted. Practice finally took its toll on him. He tried to stay awake, but his half-lidded eyes told you that he was done for the night. You forced him to head into your room to crash out on your bed; there was no way he was going to risk getting a crick in his neck from sleeping on the couch.</p><p>“Hey Kenma…are you planning to apply to Nekoma?”</p><p>He didn’t even falter, his eyes glued to the blue light of the TV. “Yeah. It’s nearby. I’ll already know Kuroo and Yaku, plus I’d still be able to go to school with you in the mornings.”</p><p>Silence settled between the two of you. He picked up on the tension immediately and the distraction almost cost him a game over. His movements stilled.</p><p>“Are you okay?”</p><p>“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry! You’re right. Nekoma’s the best choice for you. As far as I know, it’s a pretty chill school. You’ll look really good in the uniform, too.”</p><p>He got embarrassed at that and turned back towards the TV, the tips of his ears turning pink. You sighed and glanced at the clock.</p><p>“We should get to bed soon, too. Are you going to be okay out here by yourself? I can stay if you want.”</p><p>“It’s fine.” He already started arranging the pillows in the way he liked and grabbed his favorite blanket from the closet. He actually bought it for you when you were kids, but it was so fluffy and soft that he ended up using it whenever he came over. If there was one thing Kenma enjoyed, it was wrapping himself up like a burrito. “Just smother him with a pillow if he starts snoring.”</p><p>You giggled. “It hasn’t been that bad in a while. Goodnight, Kenma.”</p><p>You trailed into the room after getting your nighttime routine out of the way. Kuroo had spread himself all over the mattress like a damn starfish. You rubbed your eye with the heel of your hand and wondered if you should risk waking him up by moving him out of the way, or just going to your grandma’s old room instead.</p><p>Before you could seriously debate your options, Kuroo shifted so he was on his back. He scooched over to the other side of the bed and waited for you to get in. As soon as you lifted the covers and sank into the mattress, he wrapped an arm around your midsection and his face nestled in the swell of your chest. Of course. You should’ve known he was just using you.</p><p>At least he slept soundly. A couple of times you tried to roll over to get comfortable. He ended up pawing at the open air until he found you. You felt him bury himself into your back as his arm hooked around your stomach to hold you in place.</p><p>You were under the impression that Kuroo would be home in the morning and he’d have his family to take care of him. Once again, you took it upon yourself to slip out of bed (despite his possessive grip) and rummage through the fridge to find something for him to eat.</p><p>Yaku’s parents had stopped by a few days ago and dropped off a package full of food since they were worried you weren’t eating well enough. As if that’d ever been a problem before. Still, once you saw the sanma nestled in the back, you knew it would be the best thing for him to wake up to.</p><p>Kenma got up not too long after you started cooking. He lingered in the kitchen and watched you prepare the fish after he got the rice started. “You know, if you ever try to break up with him, he’ll never give up. Not with the way you spoil him all the time.”</p><p>You let out a weak laugh, having just grated up a small amount of daikon radish. “Yeah, well, I guess that means I don’t have to worry about anyone else trying to step in, huh?”</p><p>It only took a few minutes before the fish was done and you set the table, knowing that Kuroo’s stomach would bring him into the room soon enough. Just as you expected, he came down the hallway, rolling his neck, looking relaxed and refreshed. His eyes zeroed in on the table and he broke into a grin.</p><p>“You know I love you when I risk making the entire house smell like fish just for you,” you joked, pouring some miso soup into his bowl. “If this super powered breakfast doesn’t get you a guaranteed spot at Spring High, I am seriously going to never touch another cooking utensil ever again.”</p><p>Kuroo grabbed his chopsticks and wasted no time digging in. “What’s your ring size again? Asking for a friend.”</p><p>“Very funny. Less talk, more eating.” You set the stack of pancakes down for Kenma, seeing as how he much preferred sweet things. “We have to be out of here in a couple of hours.”</p><p>You, Kuroo and Kenma made the trek to the gymnasium where the qualifiers would be held. You’d been in here before, but the atmosphere now was completely different. Seeing so many different schools and uniforms was intimidating. It was a sea of athletes, tall, toned and full of energy, booming voices breaking through the halls as you trailed to the designated meeting spot. Some of them leered at you when you went by, teammates jabbing each other and openly talking shit about Kuroo as he strode past them. He paid them no mind which probably only infuriated them further.</p><p>“I get that you guys love volleyball, but some of these dudes really need to know that there are other hobbies out there, too.” While their passion was admirable, the competitiveness could get ugly sometimes.</p><p>You rounded the corner and spotted Coach Nekomata. Several of the other members of the team were already present. Since the gym was close enough where everyone could use local transit, they were responsible for getting here on time. You approached the group so you could single out Yaku and wish him best of luck.</p><p>“Lookin’ good, Yakkun!” You tugged on his official jersey. “Is the coach going to let you play today?”</p><p>“Yeah, we’re switching out and he thinks I’ve improved enough to keep up.” He was so proud of that fact and your heart swelled at the thought.</p><p>“You’re gonna do great. I’m excited to see you on the court again. Just know I’ll be cheering for you guys in the crowd.”</p><p>“Thanks.” That put him at ease, the flicker of nervousness in his eyes abating. “You guys should grab a seat soon. You know what gym we’re in, right?”</p><p>“Yup. Don’t worry. Kenma’s got a map of the place on his phone, too, so we won’t get lost.”</p><p>After a few more minutes of chatting together to ease his nerves, you and Kenma decided to head down to the bleachers. You were only a few steps away from the crowd when you heard Kuroo call your name. You turned slightly and saw him fixate on you, brow perked, waiting as if he was expecting something.</p><p>“Come with me a sec.” He grabbed your hand and tugged you in the opposite direction. Kenma sighed and shook his head while the rest of the team whistled and teased him for how bold he was being.</p><p>You rounded the corner and peered over his shoulder. This hallway was surprisingly empty. Kuroo took your hand and brought it to the center of his chest.</p><p>“You gonna give me a good luck kiss?”</p><p>You snickered. “Really? That’s why you dragged me over here?”</p><p>“Well how else was I gonna make my move? Did you want me to lay one on you in front of everyone, instead? Huh. Never knew you were into that…”</p><p>You could tell he was nervous. He wouldn’t have been trying to put on airs if he wasn’t. You understood why. This was one of the most important days when it came to the volleyball season and it was his first time competing against so many different teams. While you were confident in his team and the strides he made to become a better player, the fact of the matter was, his opponents were far more experienced. He was only a first year.</p><p>“You know I’m not the best with encouragement, but you know I’m super proud of you, right? You’re a first year and Coach Nekomata has enough faith in your skills that he’s going to put you out there. You love volleyball and I love you, so....just try to remember that when you’re out there and things get hard.”</p><p>The tenderness in his eyes smoldered. You were the one to initiate the kiss this time, tipping your head back so he could have much easier access to your lips. He cupped your cheek so he could bring you in even closer. You relished the warmth of his breath, your lips already wet from how much he deepened it. You could tell he wanted to slip his tongue in, and sure enough, when the tip flicked along the seam of your mouth, you gave him a gentle push.</p><p>“No way,” you breathed, head spinning and filled to the brim with muddled thoughts. “I’m not going to get in trouble for making out at a school event. You cut it super close at the training camp.”</p><p>He bit his lower lip. You could see the color fade from his cheeks. “Probably a good idea. Playing volleyball after that would be uncomfortable.”</p><p>“Stoppp,” you laughed, separating yourself from him completely. “Let’s get you back to everyone else. I have to grab a seat.”</p><p>Reluctantly, you returned to the group – who made a big deal out of how long you’d been gone. It didn’t seem like he minded the teasing.</p><p>The crowds were a little more unruly in the time you stepped out. It would be easy to lose Kenma if you weren’t paying attention. His hand found yours before you could make a move, your fingers easily linking up. It had been a long time since you did something like this. It reminded you of going to a festival in the summer and navigating the crowds. Or that time when he slipped down the muddy hill when you were caught in the rain. You drew him up on your own, much to Kuroo’s shock, and led him home, sprained ankle and all.</p><p>You entered the gym and found seats right away. You had the perfect vantage point of the court. You were a little worried. You hadn’t really thought about bringing some kind of banner or noisemaker with you. Not that Kenma would’ve been particularly enthused about using them. Fans and families prepared their cheers, causing you to feel a little awkward.</p><p>“Don’t worry. He’ll hear you.” Kenma made the effort to reassure you. You were more than happy to accept his words without question.</p><p>You knew that there were teams going at each other throughout the stadium and you didn’t care much about it. Because in this moment, all you saw was Kuroo and Yaku. They were pinpricks of color that broke through the otherwise dull gray background. You zeroed in on them with ease despite the fast pace of the game.</p><p>Yaku was even quicker on his feet. He was no longer the bumbling little boy who chased after you with fists bunched in your skirt. He had a taste of victory from previous matches. The numerous drills and practices were ingrained into him. He saved ball after ball before it hit the floor, earning triumphant cheers from the crowd and his teammates.</p><p>Kuroo…he was something else.</p><p>Any trace of nervousness from before was gone. He shared that slice of vulnerability with you and whether your words helped or not wasn’t relevant. Because now? Now he was a powerhouse. He was in his element. He jumped and blocked every single spike from the opposing team. His eyes were alight with that competitive drive. He grinned, feral, aching to snatch that win from right under their noses.</p><p>Thunderous applause followed Nekoma while they took a brief break to hydrate. Adrenaline had gripped them tight and they weren’t tired in the slightest. They were too busy readying themselves for the next set.</p><p>Before you knew it, the game was over and Nekoma had cleared to the next round.</p><p>More than a hundred teams were competing in total. The stronger ones would be playing tomorrow. Nekoma had to win several matches in a row to make it to the quarterfinals. You didn’t care about the odds.</p><p>You and Kenma left as soon as you could to find the team. They were given a brief period to rest before their next game. You tried not to feel too badly for the team who lost against Nekoma and failed. It sucked seeing their disheartened expressions, frustrated tears and pep talks falling on deaf ears. You managed to tear your eyes away just in time to see Kuroo heading for you with a giant grin on his face.</p><p>“Pretty good, right?”</p><p>“You mean ‘pretty fucking great’,” you corrected him. “That was amazing.”</p><p>Given how much energy they expended, it wasn’t too strange that the team wanted something to eat. You packed several snacks for Kuroo and made a bento, which you managed to keep cold in a little lunchbox stuffed with ice packs. He got envious looks from his teammates and made fun of them for having to eat whatever they managed to stuff into their bags before they left home.</p><p>“We should stop by Fukurodani’s game.” You really wanted to see Bokuto in action. Not that you would admit that to Kuroo and create more friendly rivalry between the two of them. They played different positions so of course you were interested. Kuroo focused primarily on defense and Bokuto specialized in offense.</p><p>“Alright, let’s go.”</p><p>Kuroo and Kenma were stopped by an old classmate and told you they would meet you inside. You didn’t want to be the awkward third wheel in their conversation, so you took their suggestion and ran with it.</p><p>Fukurodani had a history of making waves in tournaments. It was no surprise that in the midst of their game they were in the lead. You leaned on the railing as Bokuto slammed down another powerful spike, causing several of his opponents to dive hard onto the ground before missing entirely. He whooped with glee, earning embarrassed stares from his upperclassmen and coach alike.</p><p>You were so into it that you barely registered the person who made their way over.</p><p>“Good morning,” a soft voice said next to you. You snapped out of your blatant staring and was relieved to see who it was. “How are you?”</p><p>“I’m good, thanks Akaashi.” He seemed genuinely pleased with your answer. “So glad you could come. What do you think of the team so far?”</p><p>Akaashi glanced at the court and tilted his head. “I’ve derived at least four solid weaknesses due entirely to their wing spiker.”</p><p>You were surprised at his honesty but not offended. “That’s Bokuto. He’s got a lot of energy, that’s for sure, and self-restraint isn’t really his thing. His teammates have difficulty rounding him up a lot of the time. But you know, he responds better to people who are calm and collected. I think it grounds him.”</p><p>“You know him well?”</p><p>“Well enough. He kind of wormed his way into my life whether I liked it or not.” You laughed and observed him jump into the air just to get scolded by his teammate. “But that’s how it usually goes with extroverted people, right? They kind of see someone reserved and adopt them.”</p><p>“I know what you mean.” He hummed thoughtfully. “His biggest issue is that he doesn’t have full trust from his teammates just yet. They’re still holding him at arm’s length. It would be beneficial for someone to pay close attention to his tells so they can communicate with him openly. He acts before he thinks, it’s instinctual, and trying to wait for him to give a verbal or physical signal would take too long.”</p><p>You were impressed with his strategic mind and felt like you had to tell him so. “You’re very observant. I like that about you. You’re absolutely right, though. Bokuto doesn’t think – he just <em>does</em>. If he’s going to be their ace, his setter has to be able to read him closely and not waste time asking questions. It has to be someone analytical who could formulate more than one solution at a time.”</p><p>“It would be challenging, but ultimately benefit the performance of the team as a whole.” Akaashi turned toward you with a pointed stare. “I’d like to try.”</p><p>“Really? I can definitely introduce you two sometime. He’s really nice. And if you know him going into Fukurodani, you wouldn’t have to worry about being lonely or anything like that.”</p><p>Kuroo and Kenma returned, the former zeroing in on Akaashi right away. “Who’s this?” he asked, his tone already playful. “Here to watch your big brother play, kid?”</p><p>You snorted. Kid? Really? He and Kenma were the same age. Kuroo could be a condescending ass at times.</p><p>“This is Akaashi Keiji.” You introduced them all to each other. “He’s in the process of applying to Fukurodani.”</p><p>“And how do you two know each other?”</p><p>“We watched a game together.” Akaashi didn’t seem threatened by Kuroo’s presence in the slightest. He was still as cool as a cucumber. “She encouraged me to apply.”</p><p>“Well, because,” you stammered, “you told me you were thinking of going anyway. And I know what it’s like to face a decision that directly affects your family’s happiness.”</p><p>Kuroo chuckled. “That’s really cute. Maybe you should be a teacher or something since you’re so good with kids.”</p><p>Ugh. Why was he like this?! You shot him a glare that spoke volumes about how unfunny he was being. He didn’t seem to care, especially given the discomfort Akaashi showed at his teasing. Kenma, who was already aware of Kuroo’s tendency to talk out of his ass, was unbothered by his comments.</p><p>“I don’t understand why you two are dating,” Akaashi told you bluntly. “You’re very kind and he’s unpleasant.”</p><p>Kenma laughed before he could stop himself. You tried so hard to keep it together and had to cover your mouth so you didn’t let out an ungodly noise. Kuroo was miffed at his response and narrowed his eyes down at him, his fingers twitching.</p><p>“Aren’t you just adorable?” Kuroo cooed, snatching Akaashi and bringing him into a headlock. Oh, god. Why, Kuroo, why?</p><p>“Enough,” you barked, not liking the way Akaashi was being manhandled. Kuroo released him immediately. “Instead of messing around, you should be watching the game and taking some pointers. Or resting.”</p><p>He watched as you slipped away from your spot and wrapped his hands around the railing, leaning back so he could get a full look at your body before you left. “Where are you going?”</p><p>“Bathroom.”</p><p>You really did need to go, but you also wanted Kuroo to cool it. He was kind of being a jerk to Akaashi and for no reason at all. You’d never seen him act that way before. Was Kuroo the possessive type? You never thought he was…especially because he was always so nonchalant when it came to you befriending other guys. He got along well with Yaku, Minoru and Bokuto. If he was jealous, wouldn’t he have seen them as a threat, too?</p><p>You exited the bathroom and heard a crash down the hallway. Your head whipped to the source of the noise and you watched a boy from another school drop down to his knees. The contents of his bag scattered across the floor. He must have tripped or something. You dried off your still damp hands on the bottom of your shirt (because hand dryers were <em>never</em> good enough!) and approached him.</p><p>“Do you need some help?”</p><p>He seemed startled by your presence, but his expression warmed over instantly. He had some pretty distinctive features. “Oh, you don’t have to!”</p><p>“It’s okay. I want to.” You dropped down and began to gather what you could. “Is it split or something? I have a mini sewing kit in my purse – you never know.”</p><p>He was tickled by your offer. “No, it didn’t break, I’m just really clumsy. You seem prepared, though.”</p><p>“I try.”</p><p>With the last of everything gathered up, the boy drew up to his full height. “Thanks for taking the time to help. Not a lot of people would’ve.”</p><p>“It’s not a big deal.” You gave him a slight wave, already angling your body so you could leave. “Good luck on your game!”</p><p>You hadn’t even taken one step before he called out to you. “Wait!”</p><p>You looked back at him. He stared at your forehead. “You have a piece of lint in your hair.”</p><p>“Oh.” Your hand shot up to search for it. “Am I close?”</p><p>“No.” He laughed. “If you don’t mind, I can grab it for you.”</p><p>“Uh…yeah, sure.”</p><p>The boy’s slender hand lifted just high enough where he could slip his fingers into your hair. You felt awkward at how close he was. He pulled back and flicked the lint off to the side. You were going to thank him and leave, but he didn’t stop there. His hand stretched out once again – but this time he curled a lock of your hair along his index finger.</p><p>“You know, you’re pretty cute. What school do you go to?”</p><p>You recoiled. Oh, gross. There was no way this was legit. You glanced around, looking for the skulking teammates who must have put him up to this. He wouldn't willingly approach you and make a move without being coerced into it. No regular teenaged athlete would be caught dead chatting up someone your size.</p><p>“Uh…sorry, I’m not interested.” You grabbed his wrist to force him to release your hair, not liking the devious spark in his eyes. “You can let go of me now.”</p><p>“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.” He leaned in closer. You stepped backwards to escape his overpowering stare, his laxed features morphing into something predatory and almost reptilian. “Don’t you want to know what it’s like to kiss a future national champion?”</p><p>You almost froze out of sheer disbelief, but the voice behind you brought you back to reality. “Hey. Back off.” Kuroo’s tone was glacial as he angled his body toward the guy in front of you. “You heard me.”</p><p>“Aww. You must really like her.” His voice swam with lies, mocking and blatant. “How about we make a wager? If I win my next match—”</p><p>“No.” Kuroo wrapped a hand around your shoulder to steer you away. “Go to hell.”</p><p>The boy laughed behind you. He was amused by Kuroo’s anger. What a freak. You resisted the urge to make things worse and simply followed Kuroo back to the populated room ahead.</p><p>“You okay?” He stood in front of you and surveyed you closely. “If you want me to go back and pick a fight, I totally will.”</p><p>“Pick a fight? Don’t you mean ‘win’?”</p><p>He grinned. “Well, I mean, I’d pick a fight and I’d convince Bokuto to finish it. I have to protect my pretty face somehow. He’s a lost cause, so…”</p><p>“You are so mean. Bokuto’s plenty handsome.”</p><p>“HUH?” You jumped when you saw the subject of your conversation just a meter away, his face quickly turning crimson from the base of his neck to the tips of his ears. “Y-you think I’m HANDSOME?”</p><p>Color drained from your face. Why?! You thought he was still in the middle of his game! Kuroo broke into obnoxious laughter at your look of shock. Bokuto wasted no time in bending down to clasp your hands in his. The size difference between the two of you was substantial enough that you got flustered.</p><p>“I-I think you’re pretty! The prettiest girl I’ve ever seen! It’s why that one day when we met, at the gym, I—”</p><p>“Bokuto.” Akaashi’s level voice somehow sliced through the spiker’s impassioned rant. “You should let her go. It’s not polite to grab girls.”</p><p>He seemed to realize what he’d done and released you. “S-sorry!”</p><p>Kenma nodded in approval at how Akaashi managed to reign him in so quickly. You knew it. Bokuto was excitable and let his emotions get the best of him. Akaashi was the type to consider his words and actions carefully. While they were polar opposites, it wasn’t in a bad way. If anything they balanced each other out. It reminded you a lot of Kuroo and Kenma. If the two of them worked hard enough, they could be an unstoppable duo just like your childhood friends.</p><p>“Since we’re all here, we should relax for a little bit together.” You tried to change the subject, still immensely flustered by Bokuto’s words. He didn’t mean anything by it, you knew that, but it was overwhelming regardless. Kuroo was the first guy to compliment you sincerely and you weren’t used to hearing praise regarding your appearance, even if Bokuto was just trying to return the favor.</p><p>You spent the rest of the break snacking and resting outside. Kuroo used your lap as a pillow and thankfully the rest of the guys didn’t seem to notice. Bokuto was so busy drilling Akaashi about volleyball. Kenma was watching a video about an upcoming movie based on one of his favorite games and was quietly explaining the premise to Yaku. Kuroo grunted every time you topped threading your hands through his hair. What a baby.</p><p>Nekoma and Fukurodani’s success continued for the rest of the day, resulting in both schools qualifying for a second day full of games. If they managed to win all three games tomorrow, they would be entered into the quarterfinals – with the biggest chance to go to Spring High.</p><p>You were so happy that they beat down each of their opponents. Of course there were some close ones, but ultimately Kuroo and Yaku worked in tandem with their teammates to bolster their defenses. The fact that their friendship translated into better teamwork made you so happy. You couldn’t wait to see how Kenma would further improve their odds when he transferred next year.</p><p>After the last game, you were waiting for Kuroo outside of the gym when you saw a familiar guy approach you. Your mood immediately soured.</p><p>“Hi,” the guy greeted you, bashful. “I wanted to apologize for earlier. I guess I came on a little strong, huh?”</p><p>You didn’t say anything in response. He didn’t take the hint that your frosty glare was more than a warning; it was a threat.</p><p>“Okay, I get it. I shouldn’t have tried to kiss you.” You weren’t sure of his sincerity just yet. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I had no idea you were taken. And yeah, even if you <em>were</em> single, I probably should’ve backed off.”</p><p>You still gave him the silent treatment. He didn’t seem to care.</p><p>“In any case, that’s all I wanted to say. There’s no excuse for what I did, but…” He reached into his bag and pulled out a box of mochi. “Hopefully you’ll consider forgiving me.”</p><p>You didn’t even attempt to reach for them. He was giving you weird vibes. Still…the more he waited, the more you felt awkward by not at least accepting his apology gift. You sighed and took it from his hands gingerly. You pretended not to notice the way your fingers brushed up against each other.</p><p>“I’m Daishou, by the way,” he smiled. “Daishou Suguru. I play for Nohebi.” He gestured to his uniform. “Do you go to one of the schools here?”</p><p>“No, I don’t.” You clutched the box closer to your chest. Against your better judgement, you told him your name, too. No harm, right? “Are you sure I can have these? They look like they’re on the expensive side.”</p><p>“You a mochi connoisseur?” he joked. “I didn’t want to half-ass this kind of thing, so I did head down to the store on my break. You could share them with your boyfriend. I’d say sorry to him too, but uh…I figure he probably is still pretty heated about what happened.”</p><p>“Yeah.” You hadn’t received something out of the blue like this since the time Minoru got you those baked goods. “Anyway, you should probably head out before he comes out.”</p><p>“Good idea.” He chuckled and stuck out a hand toward you. “Shake on it? I have a lot of American friends and it’s kind of a bad habit.”</p><p>You reached out and placed your hand in his. He rested his free palm along your knuckles. You nearly flinched when his thumb rubbed against your skin. His touch was a little more intimate than you would’ve liked. You snatched your hand back, but the damage was done. Kuroo stepped out and saw what he thought was the guy attempting to hold your hand.</p><p>“What’re you doing here?” Kuroo ground out, leaning over Daishou in an attempt to intimidate him. “Get lost.”</p><p>“Just introducing myself.” His mouth spread into that foxlike grin, his eyes narrowing into slits. “See you tomorrow!”</p><p>You watched him go. Kuroo looked pissed. It was strange. He was usually the one who succeeded in provoking other people.</p><p>“You okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, that guy gets under my skin. He didn’t say anything weird, did he?”</p><p>“No. He just gave me these.” You showed him the box. It was still sealed. “I can throw it away if you want.”</p><p>Kuroo shook his head and plucked it from your hands. He turned the box over and saw a label fixed on the other side. “Should’ve known.” He scanned the crowd and spotted a guy wearing the Nohebi school colors, thrusting the box in his face. “Hey. The guy this is addressed to just dumped this in the trash. Mind giving it back to the girl who bought it for him?”</p><p>The teammate regarded Kuroo with obvious ire. “Sure, I’ll just be your little personal delivery boy,” he sneered. He made a show of opening the box and upending it onto the once-clean floors. The mochi tumbled out in all different directions and he kicked one for emphasis. “Watch your back, kitty cat.”</p><p>That poor girl. Whoever she was, Daishou did <em>not</em> deserve her adoration. Plus, what the fuck? He straight up lied to you! He said he bought them himself! What a dick. He wanted to kill two birds with one stone. He would effectively rid himself of the gift and try to get on your good side.</p><p>“Let’s just get out of here,” Kuroo muttered. “We’re having dinner down the street, coach is paying. To celebrate making it to the second round.”</p><p>Bokuto and the rest of Fukurodani would be going to their own restaurant. Akaashi had to get home but he promised that he would stop by again tomorrow. You exchanged numbers so you could find each other more easily. Kaori asked him if he saved your contact as “Hana” and you nearly murdered her.</p><p>Kuroo crashed out right after his shower at home. You didn’t blame him. He would have to go through the same routine tomorrow.</p><p>You went back to the gym bright and early. Kuroo was somehow refreshed enough that he was looking forward to the game. Especially when he saw the lineup and zeroed in on the first matchup of the day.</p><p>Nekoma vs. Nohebi.</p><p>Daishou managed to piss him off, which was probably what he wanted in the first place. You had your suspicions he saw you, saw Kuroo, and knew exactly what was between you. You wouldn’t put it past him given his recent actions. He could’ve used it as an opportunity to rile Kuroo up and make him more emotional in their faceoff.</p><p>You settled in the seat as the guys warmed up below. Kenma looked weary just observing them. He used to get sick after every game and practice when you were kids. Luckily he’d gotten over that little quirk.</p><p>The game started. It was Nohebi’s serve. You watched the massive player linger outside of bounds, bouncing the ball with a calculated gaze. He tossed the volleyball high into the air and took off running for an obvious jump serve. His hand connected against the leather with a resounding <em>thwack</em>! It soared over the net and your fists tightened around the railing when you saw Nekoma players make a move for it.</p><p>The ball was in play and you couldn’t take your eyes off it. You followed it wherever it went. When you were little you lost sight of it easily and struggled to keep up. Now you were seasoned. You were able to filter out the noise and distractions, making note of every point scored.</p><p>Except…</p><p>No. No way.</p><p>You gritted your teeth. Daishou just touched the net! Openly! What the hell?! You looked around to see if anyone was going to do anything, but none of the referees did shit! You clenched your hands into fists, fingers tensing while you curled them inward.</p><p>“You saw that too?” Kenma fixed on the court, a frown tugging on his lips. “He just cheated. But they were so busy doing that flashy move that no one caught it.”</p><p>“Seriously? So he’s just going to get away with it?” You were about to go off on a rant when you heard the whistle blow. It looked like someone managed to get the word out anyway.</p><p>“He’s pretending that it was an accident.” Kenma preferred to keep people at a distance. As such, he was an excellent lip reader. “He said sorry.”</p><p>“Sorry my ass,” you growled. “He tried to pull one over on the refs! Are these guys trying to take their school name literally or something?”</p><p>Nekoma got into the groove despite the hiccup early on. You could see Kuroo doing his best to keep on eye on everyone, but he seemed to be paying extra attention to Daishou. Which was understandable. Kuroo was smart enough to have seen his blatant manipulation and it must have pissed him off.</p><p>The first set was Nekoma’s win. They went off to the side to guzzle down water. Kuroo found you in the crowd and lifted his hand in a lazy wave, which you returned with a little more enthusiasm.</p><p>When they got back into the game, you were floored with the complete one-eighty.</p><p>Nohebi…was fighting dirty. Their tactics before seemed harmless. Sure, a little attempt to brush off some technicalities. But this? This was blatant aggression on the court.</p><p>You watched as they put more power into their spikes. One of Nekoma’s middle blockers got the ball directly in the face and had the wind knocked out of him. Every single ball was weaponized. Serves, spikes, it didn’t matter. Each move Nohebi made intended to cause injury. You watched one of the outside hitters get slammed so hard in the shoulder that he skidded out of bounds. He ended up being walked off the court so they could treat it.</p><p>Your blood boiled. So this was how they wanted to get into the national tournament? By cheating their way through it? Cowards. They didn’t have the balls to face Nekoma head on and would use cheap, underhanded tactics just to secure a win.</p><p>Unsurprisingly, Nohebi swept the second set. You could see the fatigue wearing on Nekoma. They were frustrated. They were disheartened. Coach Nekomata offered them words of encouragement, as did the team captain, but it didn’t seem to make much of a difference.</p><p>“I know they can do this. Nohebi might be pulling one over on the refs, but they have the skill to get through the game.” Your throat tightened. You sounded like you were trying to convince yourself and not Kenma. “Tetsurou isn’t the type to get riled up like this.”</p><p>“He isn’t, but that guy knows which buttons to push.” Kenma sighed. “Look. The two of them are close enough to talk.”</p><p>You weren’t sure what Daishou was saying to him, but Kuroo looked livid. You hadn’t seen that expression from him…well, ever. He was someone who let things roll off his back. He always had a snappy comeback from his quick wit. How was this guy getting to him so easily?</p><p>Points were scored evenly on either side. You were getting tense. It was so close. It shouldn’t have been like this. If Nekoma lost this match, that was it. They were out of the running to become a Tokyo representative. Kuroo would be crushed. You could feel your heart drop with every time the ball exchanged sides.</p><p>You saw it. You saw Nohebi pass the ball towards the front and the setter was ready for it. He sent it directly to the spiker who took the shot. Kuroo launched himself into the air, fingers ready to knock back the ball before it even had a chance to go over.</p><p>He was a millisecond too late.</p><p>You watched in horror as the ball continued its trajectory uninterrupted. It sank down behind Kuroo’s back and hit the floor before he even had a chance to turn around.</p><p>It was over.</p><p>Nohebi won.</p><p>You could hear the crowd behind you clamor as they struggled to accept the reality of what just happened. No one expected this. Nekoma had been on everyone’s radar since their victory sweep the day before.</p><p>Daishou gathered his teammates up and they broke into simultaneous laughter. Kuroo looked numb. Defeated. Broken. He stared openly at the other team celebrating their win. You could see his shoulders slump. The thoughts whirring in his head as he struggled to understand just how he managed to miss that block entirely.</p><p>You stepped down from the bleachers and onto the main floor of the gym. Nekoma had stepped off to the side to discuss things. You couldn’t approach Kuroo or Yaku just yet. Not when things were still so fresh. You made your way to the exit instead and followed the crowd. You just hoped that when you stepped out the doors time would reset, and you’d realize you had dozed off somehow.</p><p>You felt someone put their hand on your shoulder and flinched. You whirled to face to them and your rage only intensified when you saw who it was.</p><p>“Too bad,” Daishou chuckled, ignoring Kenma’s presence completely. “That sure was embarrassing. A blocker who can’t even block. Ouch. You know, what’s even worse is that I gave you the chance to kiss a future national champion and you turned me down. But since I’m feeling generous, I could extend the offer again.” He leaned forward with that same malicious glint in his eyes, causing your entire body to recoil.</p><p>You wanted to say something to him. If given the option, you could totally picture yourself slugging him in his smug face. This was reality, though. You didn’t want to cause problems for Nekoma by picking a fight with someone from another team. You weren't going to give him the satisfaction of acting like the sore loser you knew you were.</p><p>“I’m not interested in kissing a guy whose only way to secure a spot a Spring High was by being a fucking cheater.” You stared at him pointedly. “You knew you couldn’t beat Nekoma on your own. That’s pathetic. And so are you.”</p><p>He grinned in response. “It’s cute how you think you’re intimidating. Well, if you change your mind, you could always swing by the game to see us win.” He waved a hand and stepped off to the side, knowing you were glaring after him. “I’ll just grab my kiss then.”</p><p>You wanted to be happy for Bokuto and the Fukurodani team when you saw the TV screens update to inform you of their easy win. You just didn’t have enough energy to do more than send a text to the group with your congratulations.</p><p>Yaku accepted the hug you offered him when he stumbled out the exit. He was upset, sure, but he hid it well. You promised him that you’d chat later. You waited and waited for Kuroo to come out of the gym with Kenma sticking to your side. It took a full fifteen minutes before he finally emerged.</p><p>“Hey,” he murmured, bag slung over his shoulder. “Ready to go?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>All three of you headed home in silence. It was silent when you got on the bus, it was silent when you walked to your front door, and it was silent when you settled in the living room. The silence buzzed around you, heavy and overbearing, only bringing you further down into your shared disappointment.</p><p>“You would have won if they didn’t cheat so much.” Kenma was brave to take the first step into addressing the elephant in the room and you admired him for it. “Nekoma is a better team.”</p><p>You agreed. “They were desperate, grasping at straws. They purposefully made themselves seem like the good guys to the referees. It was manipulative. I guarantee that shit won’t fly for long. It wouldn’t surprise me if they got their asses beat by their next opponent.”</p><p>Kuroo knew that you were telling the truth, but you could see that his misstep bothered him greatly. “I messed up.”</p><p>“Everyone messes up. Yaku missed the ball. Kai served and it went out of bounds. And despite those mistakes, Nohebi <em>still</em> had to pull a bunch of tricks to get one over on you.” You didn’t want him to beat himself up more than he already had.</p><p>“Heh…” Kuroo leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. “I can’t believe it’s over. All of our practices and training for nothing.”</p><p>“It wasn’t <em>nothing,</em> Tetsurou.” You shifted so that you angled your body towards him, your hand resting along his hunched back. “You’re a first year, you managed to get on the court, <em>and</em> you played every single game in the qualifiers. You made it to the second day of matches no problem. You helped prevent your opponents from scoring at least a hundred points. You went into the club this year without even knowing you could do all of that – and you did.”</p><p>Kenma nodded. He wasn’t much for words, but he was lending his support by sticking through this tough time. Just like always.</p><p>“When I watched you out there, I was amazed at how much you’d improved, even compared to just a few weeks ago. You know what you’re doing. It shows. You pour your heart and soul into the team and every single game and no one can take that away from you. Not even a slimy jerk like Daishou. I don’t care what the official ruling is. Nekoma won that match by a landslide. And you know what? All this means is that the next time you face off against Nohebi – which you will, by the way – it’s going to be so much sweeter wiping those nasty little smiles off their faces when they realize they can’t just squirm their way out of playing fair like they did today.”</p><p>Kuroo’s hands peeled away and despite the watery sheen to his eyes, he wasn’t crying. “You don’t even like sports,” he laughed, voice shaking. “What are you doing?”</p><p>“I’m being a supportive girlfriend. Duh.” You laced his fingers with yours to keep them from finding their way back to shielding him away from you. “You got us into volleyball, so deal with it. Take responsibility. Don’t give up and leave me and Kenma hanging. We’re counting on you in bouncing back like you always do. We learned how to swallow our fears from you. We learned to keep pushing despite the setbacks. And if you need to lean on us to get there again? We’re here. Period.”</p><p>He looked over at Kenma’s gentle smile and then to yours. His once-tense jaw loosened. His lips parted. The clarity to his eyes returned, warmth easing back into his face, his hands squeezing yours as if he was reassuring himself that you were still here.</p><p>“Thanks.” He didn’t need to say anything else. You both knew he was sincere. There were no words meant to distract you or take away the importance of what he said.</p><p>“You’re welcome,” Kenma murmured. He got up from his spot and excused himself to the bathroom.</p><p>You and Kuroo both knew it was just a way for him to give you some privacy. It was well-meaning and definitely not unwelcome.</p><p>You wasted no time in untangling your hands from his and rolling on top of him. You straddled him on the couch and placed both palms against either side of his face. Kuroo didn’t say or do anything aside from close his eyes. You planted warm kisses along his cheeks, jaw, forehead and finally his lips. He accepted them with his hands anchoring you in place, splayed across your back, your name whispered just softly enough that it sent a pleasant shudder creeping down your spine.</p><p>You pulled back just enough that you could rest your forehead against his. “Next year. You’ll definitely make it in next year.”</p><p>Kuroo smirked. “It’s a promise.”</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I purposefully make MC's role in Haikyuu a game of "Six Degrees of Separation" and no one can stop me. Kuroo and Yaku? MC. Kuroo and Bokuto? MC. Bokuto and Akaashi? MC. Kuroo and Daisho? You guessed it - MC! Haruichi Furudate never told you and I am here for the exposé...</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Whiplash</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's Kuroo's birthday and you're determined to make it memorable.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you guys so much for all your support, you have NO idea how much I appreciate it. Your comments are so wholesome and inspire me.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You sat down in the waiting room at the back of the boutique, dazed from the noxious clouds of perfume that gathered within its brightly painted walls. It wasn’t an unpleasant smell…at first. Spending at least ten minutes in here quickly changed your mind. Fluorescent lighting illuminated the entire shop and graciously depicted every flaw you could ever hope to find on yourself. Between the same recycled electronic beats with heavily autotuned sopranos whining about boys, and the flitting employees who kept checking on you, you were so sick and tired of this place.</p><p>“Are you <em>sure</em> you don’t want to try anything?” Kaori called from inside the changing room stall. You could see her hop on one foot as she struggled to regain her balance after stepping outside of her jeans. “I saw they have a plus size section!”</p><p>You nearly choked with laughter. Plus-sized? By whose standards? You saw one entire rack (wow, jackpot!) sparsely decorated with enough neutral colors and outdated patterns to cause anyone’s grandma to salivate. You rifled through it as soon as you walked in. Not only were they hideous and not your style, they wouldn’t even fit you if you tried. You were a walking expert in filtering through what you could and could not squeeze yourself into.</p><p>“Uh, that’s okay, I’ll just wait ‘til we go somewhere else.”</p><p>Kaori opened the door and walked out with her arms spread. “Ta da! What do you think?”</p><p>With that body, she could make a trashbag look like couture. “I love it.”</p><p>“I think I’m gonna get it. Yukie! Are you done yet?”</p><p>Yukie grumbled from the stall next door, a thump on the wall indicating she was fighting a losing battle with whatever she was struggling to put on. “I need help.”</p><p>“Oh my gosh. She does this all the time,” Kaori giggled. “She can’t zip up a dress to save her life.”</p><p>“It’s not my fault. It’s one of those cheap invisible zippers. I’m scared of it breaking off or something.”</p><p>You chuckled. Those things were the worst. Why did people still use them?</p><p>“Okay, I’m coming.” Kaori opened the door and Yukie had no qualms about baring her half-dressed self to anyone who would be outside. Luckily, any girl in here let their boyfriends retreat outside the shop to wait on the bench. There was a row of them on their phones patiently waiting with a few shopping bags settled at their feet.</p><p>You watched them and genuinely wished you could join in on the fun. Shopping could be nice – if you found the right kind of store. Often it was just a series of mild disappointments. Seeing cute outfits that you’d snag in a second if you thought you could stuff your hips into it. That or grabbing an outfit that looked stellar on the thin mannequin and then betrayed you by being completely unflattering in every sense of the word.</p><p>“Yukie, you’re so cute in this!”</p><p>The girl in question angled her body towards the mirror and frowned. “I don’t know, it makes me look kinda big, don’t you think?”</p><p>You knew that Yukie didn’t mean to be insensitive, but it was still annoying. What a pain in the ass. You pretended not to hear it and neither one of them seemed to realize what she just said. They argued amongst themselves about whether shift dresses were fashionable and ultimately Yukie shelved the idea entirely. It was a shame. You thought it was just fine. If she was that worried, she could’ve just used a belt to cinch it at the waist.</p><p>Kaori deposited an armful of clothes onto the counter and grinned at the cashier. They chatted about the sale and how new shipments were coming in every weekend. Yukie halfway listened while brushing through cheap earrings on display to encourage customers in grabbing something at the last second.</p><p>You left the boutique and you were so thankful for the clean air filtering through your lungs. Sheesh. You had one store in mind, though you were a little afraid to bring it up. It was a plus-sized store, so what fun would it be for them when they couldn’t even buy anything?</p><p>“Are you sure you don’t have somewhere you wanna go?” Kaori peered at you worriedly. “We’ve been to a couple of places and I feel bad that you’re so left out.”</p><p>You sighed. Better bite the bullet. The sooner you got this out of the way, the sooner you could move on to more of what they wanted to do. “Actually…”</p><p>You felt so much more at ease walking into the shop. This kind of place was nearly impossible to track down in Japan, even within Tokyo itself. You made a beeline for the dress section since that was what you needed. Kaori and Yukie had wandered off to gape at the size of the bras in the lingerie section, the two of them pressing the thinly padded cups against their bodies and marveling at how it dwarfed them in comparison.</p><p>It was weird how the atmosphere shifted where you felt like you could breathe again. In that boutique, all you could think about was how you were being perceived. Pity for having to sit there like a statue? Disdain for daring to show up at a fashionable place knowing you couldn’t even dream of trying on anything? In this store, you saw the sizes, you saw the materials, and you saw the people coming in and out. It was a release in tension you didn’t even realize you’d been holding so tightly onto.</p><p>The downside to places like this were the prices. People could tout all they wanted about how “more material means it should cost more!”. Bullshit. It was just a way for companies to profit from people like you. Facing the facts meant accepting that clothing lines could charge whatever the hell they wanted because their products were in high demand and short supply.</p><p>You zeroed in on a few pieces, gathering them in your arms. It was a special occasion and you did want to look your best, even if the odds were stacked against you.</p><p>“Wait, I wanna come in!” Kaori caught you before you could slip inside the safety of the dressing room. “Please?”</p><p>“What? Why?”</p><p>“Because we know that you’ll probably try everything on without even letting us see it.” Yukie had the giant bra strapped across her chest, unbothered at the giggling customers that walked past her. “Do you think I could ever fill these cups?”</p><p>“I’m sorry, but…no.” Kaori quickly unhooked the clasps and tugged the straps down her arms. “I just don’t think it’s in your future. Besides, think about your back. I think it would snap in half.”</p><p>You sighed. “Kaori—”</p><p>“Okay, I won’t come in, but you have to show us every piece.” She put her hands on her hips, eyes turning fierce. “And don’t lie and say it doesn’t fit so you don’t have to come out. Or if you want, we can just wait out here, and when you <em>do</em> want to show us, then we can slip inside!”</p><p>It was better than having them see you down to your underwear. “Okay. Deal.”</p><p>“Yes! I picked some stuff, too.” Kaori shoved you into the room with a few more pieces she had hidden somewhere and locked you inside.</p><p>You stared at the mountain of clothes. Well. It was just you, the harsh bright lighting and the infamous dressing room mirror. Had anyone done any kind of research on whether these things were from another plane of existence with the sole purpose of torturing people?</p><p>Fitting into clothes didn’t necessarily meant that they looked good. It was all about proportions. Some designers thought that just adding more room to their shit would suffice. Others didn’t understand how chest size affected dress length. How about adding lace sleeves? Pretty concept, but didn’t they know that didn’t stretch?</p><p>You put the first one on and gave yourself a quick glance in the mirror. You avoided looking at your face. Just concentrate on the dress. Did it pinch? Was it flattering? Did it give you an actual waist, or did it bury you like you were something to hide?</p><p>Kaori and Yukie were waiting outside patiently. Once you stepped out to meet them, their eyes lit up. You barely noticed Yukie snap a picture until the flash gave it away. You wanted to protest but Kaori had already jumped up to give you the once-around.</p><p>“This is super duper cute! I love the color, it really brings out your eyes!” She stepped back and nodded in approval. “Next!”</p><p>You were subjected to their impromptu fashion show and you weren’t sure if you were upset, angry or amused. They did seem to enjoy themselves. Unlike a lot of the other girls at your school, they were genuine, friendly and supportive. It was a shame you didn’t go to the same school together. As much as you loved the girls with the newspaper club, they were still pretty intimidating when it came to how they were raised and their families' wealthy backgrounds.</p><p>After nearly forty minutes of stepping in and out of that room, you glanced back at the outfit that you all agreed on. Fit-and-flare was a style that could never go wrong. It cinched at the waist and flowed out to hide the roundness of your stomach. The sweeping neckline showed off a healthy amount of cleavage that would look even better with a push-up bra, per Yukie’s suggestion.</p><p>“Wear it with heels!”</p><p>“Flats.”</p><p>“Heels!”</p><p>“Flats.”</p><p>While the two bickered amongst themselves, you changed and made your way to the cashier. You had gotten a couple of other pieces, sure, but this was the one that was most important. You were anxious to see Kuroo’s reaction to it. Aside from your school uniform, most of the time when you met up you were in something comfortable rather than fashionable. He never seemed to mind. On the few dates you dressed up for, he always seemed like he appreciated it. You wanted a bigger reaction though...and for good reason.</p><p>“Find everything okay?” The cashier smiled at you knowingly.</p><p>“Yeah, thanks.”</p><p>Kaori snuck a peek at the price tag and gasped. “Wait, is this dress seriously eighty-five hundred yen?”</p><p>You nodded. She was scandalized. You knew what she was thinking. This kind of dress found in literally any other store in a smaller size would’ve easily gone for half that price, if that.</p><p>“And you guys wonder why I’m so broke,” you joked. “And why I wear the same five outfits when I go out.”</p><p>“I think we should set up a fundraiser. This is sad.” Yukie reached into her purse and dropped a small stack of bills. “I’ll help.”</p><p>“Me too!” Kaori matched her.</p><p>“Wait, guys! I’m not letting you buy clothes for me.” You tried to call them back, but the two of them had wandered off to the sunglasses and were putting them on each other. You sighed in defeat. You could easily just return the money to them. You would never hear the end of it, though.</p><p>The cashier giggled as she handed you the bag. “You girls are so cute.”</p><p>You headed toward the door as the two girls bounded after you. It wasn’t long before they hooked around your arms on either side. It made you somewhat nostalgic and it stung a little. Aiko used to do the same thing when you were together. You used to flinch and brush her off. Now you didn’t mind it as much. Girls were affectionate with their friends and that was normal. You guessed you were so used to hanging out with Yaku, Kenma and Kuroo that you didn’t have much experience being on the receiving end.</p><p>“We’re going to meet at your house, right?”</p><p>“Mmhmm.” You would have to clean the hell out of it tonight. “I already bought the cake and Bokuto is going to pick it up for me. I asked Akaashi if he would go with him since I pictured like, a million different ways he could somehow drop it.”</p><p>Yukie snickered. “It’s so wrong of us to laugh, but it’s so true. Remember in art class he made that funky little ceramic bowl for you? He was so proud of that thing. He spent the entire walk holding it in his hands like a baby chick.”</p><p>“Then he—” Kaori laughed, “—he saw you walking up and wanted to show you his ‘Ultra Cool Spike’ from practice. That poor thing. Before he knew what he was doing, it’d already shattered into like a million pieces.”</p><p>“I think the funniest thing is that you had to tell him it was cool so he’d stop crying.” Yukie nearly doubled over. “I really hope Akaashi knows he has his work cut out for him.”</p><p>“Kenma and Yaku are going to bring the gift, right?”</p><p>“Yeah, it was delivered to the post office and needed a signature from the recipient. Kenma got a little anxious thinking about carrying it alone and Yakkun doesn’t have any problem acting like a big brother, so…”</p><p>Kaori sighed dreamily. “You have all these guys wrapped around your finger. How do you do it? Hmm?”</p><p>“Oh, please. Bokuto latches on to everyone he meets. I’ve known everyone else from childhood so that’s not a fair comparison.” You paused when Yukie broke off from the group to squat down and coo at the puppies on display at the pet store.</p><p>Kaori tugged on you arm so you would look her in the eyes instead of ignoring her batting eyelashes. “Okay, then what about Akaashi? Minoru?”</p><p>You perked a brow at her. “What about them?”</p><p>“I’m just saying~! To one, you are his flower – and to the other, you are his goddess…”</p><p>“Kaori. I think you’ve read enough shoujo manga this week. I’m confiscating it for the sake of your own health.”</p><p>“Noooo! Wait! That’s so mean. What did they ever do to you, huh?”</p><p>Yukie rejoined you and had somehow gotten you ice cream on the way. “Because it’s warping your reality and perceptions of romance. Apparently, guys only go for mature girls like our friend here. Maybe that’s why she’s got a trail of guys wanting her attention.”</p><p>You rolled your eyes in response. “Not you too.”</p><p>“Mature?! I saw how many otome apps she has on her phone!” Kaori cried.</p><p>“Wow! Way to out me!” You tried to move away from her to walk on your own and neither of them budged. If anything, they just wrapped around your struggling body like a kid trying to escape from one of those finger-trap toys.</p><p>By the time you got home, you were beat. You knew you had to go to bed early because of the celebration tomorrow, but you still had to make sure the place was spotless. Living alone meant that you had numerous dirty dishes in the sink, garbage that needed to be taken out, and a shower that judged you every time you used it. You threw the clothes into the washing machine and decided to take a short nap before starting to clean.</p><p>The day came and went. You tried to tidy up everything you could. Yukie and Kaori would be coming over so you could change and get ready together. You left the door unlocked and had just hopped out of the shower when you realized they already came in.</p><p>“This is a cute little house,” Kaori giggled, looking through the various pictures on the walls. “Aw, look! It’s Kuroo and Kenma!”</p><p>“They were pretty adorable.” Yukie focused on the one with all three of you. “Look. Kuroo has that same lovesick look in this like he does now. How long has he had it bad for you?”</p><p>You tried not to let their words get the better of you. “I don’t know.”</p><p>“Pfft. I’ll just ask him myself, then.” Yukie pulled out her phone and typed away.</p><p>You steered them out of the living room to prevent any more embarrassing relics of your past. You put away the mountain of clothes you’d washed and hung them up in the closet, which left more room for them to sit around and drop their bags.</p><p>“I brought some new eyeshadow I wanted to try on you!” Kaori pulled out her makeup bag. “It’s a really pretty palette. Wait, be honest: do you prefer shimmer or matte?”</p><p>It wasn’t the first time you’d been treated like a life-sized doll. You didn’t mind it too much. You trusted the two of them, even if they did have a few squabbles about colors they thought matched your skin. Kaori insisted you had a warm undertone and Yukie told her it was clearly cool. You showed them the foundation you had just so they would get on with it. Stupid thing. Getting shade matched in makeup stores was literally the worst.</p><p>“But glossy lips make them look plumper.”</p><p>“Sure, but if it’s lipstick, she can plant one on Kuroo and take a picture of the mark it leaves.”</p><p>As much as you protested, you did have fun with them. They had known each other for awhile and it was clear how close they were as friends. Seeing them reminded you of how you and Aiko were basically inseparable in school. You ate together, had study sessions in the library, ran together in gym class and were always lab partners. You tried to stifle the gentle ache in your chest when you watched them bicker back and forth.</p><p>“Just in time!” Kaori exclaimed. “We should probably get moving. I’m getting hungry.”</p><p>All three of you left your house. Bokuto already dropped by earlier with the cake and so did Kenma and Yaku with the gift. Everything was in place for the end of the night.</p><p>With summer gone and fall in full swing, Tokyo’s temperatures were tepid at best. It was nice to walk outside and not feel like you were boiling inside. The sun had already taken its leave and you were shrouded in darkness for the time being. Once you got a little further into the city, you would be lit up with every shade of neon there was.</p><p>“This place is really cool, Yukie and I went there a few months ago with a couple of girls from our class.” Kaori was light on her feet, her long hair curled around her shoulders instead of in its signature ponytail. “The room we booked is big enough for everyone to hang out. Plus the food is so good!”</p><p>“Can’t wait,” Yukie murmured, a faraway look in her eyes. The girl loved food just as much as you did. Well, maybe that was a stretch. It shocked you the first time you saw her wolf down like six onigiri without even pausing to catch her breath.</p><p>You had to admit, you felt a little awkward. It wasn’t as if you being so dressed up and boarding the train was out of the norm. It was a weekend. Tons of people were in outfits that would easily get them into any club they wanted. You shifted in your shoes and rolled your ankles, thankful that for most of the night your feet would be spared the pain of having to balance on the heels you picked out.</p><p>“Anyone else from the club coming besides the rest of the first-years?” you asked.</p><p>“No, not really. The rest of the guys don’t really know Kuroo since they didn’t play much together during the training camp. What about on Nekoma?”</p><p>You shook your head. “Same thing, really. The upperclassmen were kind of dicks to me in the past and they’ve been on Tetsurou and Yakkun’s blacklist since. But he also invited a few classmates from his homeroom and a couple more guys that he used to hang out with in junior high.”</p><p>“So in other words…” Kaori’s eyes sharpened. “Lots of cute boys!”</p><p>You scoffed. “Yup. Take your pick. You can talk volleyball with them, I’m sure they’ll be super impressed and be totally into it.”</p><p>You walked down the sidewalk together, laughing and talking on the way. Any of your remaining nervousness faded as you fell into your own little worlds. It was nice to enjoy the nightlife without worrying so much about who was around to see you. To the rest of the world, you were just another high school girl having some harmless fun with her friends. You blended into the crowds filled with people, young and old, marching down each block without much care for anyone else around you.</p><p>You got closer to the building and you marveled at the row of restaurants and bars along the way. Weary corporate employees lined the stools with ice cold bottles of beer. From the fingerprint-covered glass you could see how everyone could finally relax after a long week. A group inside burst into a large cheer and toasted their drinks, faces flushed as the alcohol worked its magic.</p><p>“There it is.” Yukie locked her phone. “I think everyone else is already inside.”</p><p>You opened the doors for the other two. You didn’t even think about it. You followed them and were surprised to see how crowded it was inside. Most of them were probably your age or a little older. You inched closer to the girls so you wouldn’t get separated.</p><p>“We’re here for the birthday party – the reservation is under Kuroo.” Kaori leaned on the counter with an expectant smile.</p><p>You were given directions to the room and found yourselves wandering down the long, dimly lit hallway. Yukie checked each number near the door to make sure you didn’t make a wrong turn or something.</p><p>“Here we go!” Kaori opened the door and grabbed your wrist to drag you inside. You nearly tripped over your own two feet and managed to still yourself to drink in the sight.</p><p>It was a nice atmosphere, you had to admit. The neon lights lining the ceiling were a soft purple. Numerous pictures of famous idols decorated most of the empty space. The projector near the back cast holographic images and the glaring screen of the flat-screen TV on the center wall illuminated the center stage. Your eyes took a second to adjust and it was then you realized that the tables and booths were all occupied.</p><p>“Hi guys!” Kaori called out. “No one better say we’re late, because by my watch, we’re right on time!”</p><p>The voices around you came all at once and it was difficult for you to discern one from the other. You were nervous even though you knew nearly everyone here and your intestines decided to twist themselves into neat little knots. You noticed someone stand up from the booth and cross the room to greet you.</p><p>“Hey.” Kuroo’s eyes swept over your figure and you could already feel your cheeks turn warm at his fixed stare. “Is that a new dress?”</p><p>“Yeah. You like it?” Your words were meant to sound confident, but they came out a little shakier than you would’ve liked.</p><p>He reached down and his fingers threaded through yours. His eyelids lowered and he peered at you through those dark lashes of his, mouth curving upward into a smirk. Why was he so hot? It was unfair how good he looked. His bedhead was in full swing and the way it partially covered his face was downright sinful.</p><p>“If you say something cheesy like, ‘it’d look better on my bedroom floor’, I’m leaving, birthday or not,” you joked.</p><p>He didn’t take the bait. “Just can’t believe how lucky I am, that’s all. A knockout like you shouldn’t even be talking to me right now.”</p><p>“Shut up…” You pushed him with the smallest amount of force possible. “Happy birthday, Tetsurou.”</p><p>“Thanks,” he chuckled, “but you already told me this morning <em>and</em> sang it to me over the phone.”</p><p>“Well, just in case you forgot.” You grabbed his dark red tie and pulled him down until he was level with your lips. “Don’t care if we have an audience, because if I have to wait anymore, I’m going to lose my mind.”</p><p>You thought through the cover of darkness you wouldn’t be so embarrassed, especially since you couldn’t see the expressions of everyone in the room. This was a special day. It was his birthday, he was wearing the most form-fitting collared shirt and slacks you'd ever seen, and his hands trailed down to your hips with such ease that you couldn’t help but lose yourself in him. You tilted your head and could hear the silky sound of your lips sticking and separating against the surprised gasps and laughter around. It was supposed to be a brief peck. You weren’t sure who you were kidding. Kissing Kuroo was always a dangerous game, especially since experience had really made a difference in the way he used his tongue.</p><p>“Akaashi! Cover your eyes!” Bokuto scolded him, nearly knocking him over when he tried to shake his shoulder. “This is too intense for someone your age!”</p><p>“Bokuto. I’m only a year younger than you are.”</p><p>He shook his head side to side. “Look at Kenma! He knows!”</p><p>Kenma, who was hunched over his phone, buried his face further into the screen. “I’m used to this kind of stuff.”</p><p>You withdrew from Kuroo and your lips parted as soon as you saw him stick out his tongue to swipe along his bottom lip. He was amused.</p><p>“Hey, that’s cherry flavored. Or is it strawberry? I might need another sample.”</p><p>You pressed your index finger against his puckered lips before he could try for another. “One per hour, birthday boy. I’m not trying to gross anyone else out.”</p><p>“Whatever. They’re just jealous your lips are soft and I get them all to myself.” He grinned. “Let’s go check out the menu, I waited to order until you came by.”</p><p>You didn’t have time to be mortified that you had an audience, because everyone fell into their own conversations. Kuroo shoved the menu in your face. You huddled together and ran down the list of different foods to try. Yukie put her order within the thirty second gap between her entrance from the door to her seat at the table.</p><p>“Ooh, look at their cute drink specials!” You marveled at the designs. There were lots of options despite no alcohol served here. You sniffed the air and your nose wrinkled. “Is someone drinking konacha?”</p><p>“That’d be Minoru. He said he needed to soothe his voice before he went up there.” Kuroo chuckled. “He and Bokuto were fighting over who got to go first.”</p><p>“Don’t tell me you told them to do a duet.”</p><p>“Oh, I <em>definitely</em> told them to duet.” He snorted. “They said they wanted to wait until everyone was here, though I’m pretty sure they really just wanted to show off to you.”</p><p>“Don’t be weird.”</p><p>He gripped your hand under the table. You were amazed at how different it felt. Within the last few months of his constant practicing his hands had become much rougher in comparison. It didn’t help that he continued to grow even now. Your hand was fully encompassed by his and he seemed to enjoy that a lot.</p><p>You peered over to the side and saw Kenma with his legs tucked underneath him. You didn’t want to shout, so instead you reached out and rested your hand on the ball of his shoulder. Gently, so he wouldn’t jump. “Are you doing okay, Kenma?”</p><p>His eyes shimmered underneath the sparkling lights. “Yeah, I’m alright.”</p><p>“If you need to step out or anything, let me know. We can take a break together.”</p><p>He nodded in relief. You pulled your arm back and rested it across your lap. Bokuto and Minoru had jumped up and nearly ran to where you were.</p><p>“We’re gonna sing! You wanna come up, too?” Bokuto had his hands slapped together in front of him, as if he was praying for you to say yes. He had cleaned up pretty well. Just like the rest of the guys, he dressed up – and he even slicked back his usually unruly hair.</p><p>You laughed. “No. You guys should break the ice. I’m excited to hear you sing!”</p><p>“Yeah!” Minoru pumped a fist. “Let’s go!”</p><p>You didn’t have high expectations for either of them, to be honest. Still, it was a good thing that you had a couple of fearless guys who could set the stage and loosen up everyone else’s nerves. They clambered up to the electronic song bank and flipped through eagerly. You weren’t sure what they would choose, though you knew you’d be entertained either way.</p><p>“Why don’t you go up and show them how it’s done, Tetsurou?” you teased him. You hadn’t realized he’d been staring at you while you looked ahead and you nearly got flustered when you locked eyes. “Strut your stuff.”</p><p>“I’m obviously the grand finale.” He brought his drink to his lips and it left an enticing sheen across them. “Who do you think has the best voice here?”</p><p>You looked around the room. “Akaashi, for sure.”</p><p>“Yes?” You whipped your head to the side to see he was right next to you. He looked like he had just come over to say hi to you. “Did you need me for something?”</p><p>“Nah, she just said you probably have the chops.” Kuroo peered at him. “You ever do karaoke before?”</p><p>“Not really.” Akaashi took the empty seat and made himself comfortable. “I wanted to thank you both for inviting me. I’m having a nice time.”</p><p>“That’s great. I’m super happy you could come.” You smiled brightly at him. “Anyone from Fukurodani giving you trouble?”</p><p>“No, they’ve all been very kind. I appreciate everything you’ve done in introducing us. It’s nice to know I’ll have acquaintances already in the works next year.”</p><p>You shook your head. “Friends,” you corrected him.</p><p>“Oh…yes. Friends, I suppose.” He looked a little bashful.</p><p>Your conversation was cut short by the music rocking the speakers. It looked like Bokuto and Minoru had made their decision. An insane rock ballad. What else would you have expected from them?</p><p>You sat back in the chair tucked in the crook of Kuroo’s arm and watched the scene unfold. The lyrics materialized on the giant prompter and they both broke out into a booming harmonization. They managed to not overpower one another…somehow. It was a surprise how they did carry the melody, even if their excitation translated into them tripping over their words with misspoken lyrics.</p><p>It got a laugh out of everyone, that was for sure! They relished the limelight and addressed the crowd with thousand-watt smiles. Your cheeks hurt from mirroring their expressions after a while. Even Kenma had glanced up from his phone and opted to record them instead. He could cope better with the crowd if he was behind the lens and not interacting with them directly.</p><p>Yaku approached the table you were at. “Hey, here’s your drink. They accidentally gave it to me.”</p><p>“Ooh, thanks!” You took it from him with great care considering there was a cute little arrangement of konpeito on top. “Hey, where’s Ritsuko?”</p><p>Kuroo sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. You took one look at his face and realized your mistake. Yaku took it in stride, though. “She broke up with me.”</p><p>Ouch. You hadn’t known. You felt like such an asshole. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>“It’s fine.” It wasn’t. “We decided it was the best thing for us.” Nope, it was all her doing. “I’m busy with volleyball all of the time and she has been studying hard for her college prep courses. Between the two of us, we just didn’t have enough time to really go out.”</p><p>Kuroo was not amused. “I still think it was a low blow. No offense, dude. But when you really care about someone, you make it work. I mean, everyone is busy with something. I feel like it was just an excuse because she didn’t want to put in the effort.”</p><p>“<em>Tetsurou</em>,” you hissed, elbowing him sharply in the ribs. “They just broke up. The last thing he needs is someone shitting all over her. He still has feelings for her.”</p><p>Yaku’s grip on his glass tightened. “Well, it’s not like we even went out long enough for us to have been a real couple,” he lamented. “She still wants to be friends. I don’t think I can, though. It’s hard when you see someone you can’t be with and you have to pretend like everything is okay. Do girls get over this kind of thing faster?”</p><p>You didn’t want to hurt his feelings and you had no idea what the girl was thinking, so you paused. “I don’t know. It’s different for everyone. Sometimes people are so caught up in their futures they don’t really live in the present, you know? Like, she’s focused on going to college and is willing to sacrifice romance for it. It just sucks that the timing isn’t right.”</p><p>Heartbreak wasn’t something you were too familiar with. You were lucky enough that the one guy who you genuinely loved felt the same. You did sympathize with Ritsuko. Choosing academics over romance must have been difficult for her. You could only hope that was truly the case and not that she didn’t have feelings for him in the first place. He deserved that kind of happiness.</p><p>“Well, let’s not talk about that anymore,” Kuroo muttered. “Agree to disagree I guess. Don’t worry too much. As short and nitpicky as you are, I’m still sure someone out there will be able to tolerate you.”</p><p>Yaku’s eyes narrowed at him. “You’re lucky it’s your birthday.”</p><p>“I know! I’m immune. That’s why I said it.” Kuroo grinned at him cheekily and plucked one of the konpeito from your glass. He rolled it between his thumb and index finger before tossing it straight at Yaku’s face.</p><p>“Hey!” Yaku exclaimed, the piece of candy nearly hitting him in the eye. “What the hell!”</p><p>“Lighten up, <em>Yakkun</em>.” Kuroo chucked another one. “I’m not stopping until you catch it in your mouth.”</p><p>“Don’t call me that!” he huffed. “That’s her nickname for me, not yours!”</p><p>“Sorry, <em>Yakkun</em>, I can’t hear you!”</p><p>Much to his chagrin, Yaku eventually did catch one of the konpeito in his mouth. The sweetness seemed to shock his senses and it brought a hint of a smile to his lips. He bent down and plucked one of them from the seat cushion and flicked it over to Kuroo as revenge. Of course, Kuroo saw it coming and promptly caught it with no hesitation.</p><p>You were caught in the crosshairs of their konpeito battle. At least Yaku had cheered up since he was distracted. Kenma shrank into his seat until one of the konpeito landed in his hair. You took it from its new spot and popped it in your mouth before grabbing another one.</p><p>“Hmm…it is really good, I have to admit.”</p><p>Kuroo went to grab another one and found that there weren’t any left, save for the one in your mouth. He sighed in disappointment. “Man, I didn’t even get to try one.”</p><p>“Well, you brought that on yourself.” You reached up and tugged on his earlobe, causing him to wince in response.</p><p>You could hear Yaku and Kenma in the background. They were distracted with watching the next performance. You saw your chance and took it. You put your hand on Kuroo’s cheek and pushed it just enough so he was facing you head on. You brought your lips together and licked against his lips so he would open them – just enough for you to pass along the konpeito into his mouth.</p><p>You pulled back and your eyes fluttered open just enough to see the dazed look on his face, pupils blown wide and cheeks hot to the touch.</p><p>“I think I should get an award. I managed to make you speechless.” You turned your attention to the two approaching girls, not missing the way Kuroo’s stare got even more heated.</p><p>“Hey! Come sing with us!” Kaori begged. “You can pick the song if you want!”</p><p>You hesitated. “I don’t know…”</p><p>“You can just lip-synch if you want. We don’t mind.” Yukie had already reached down and wrapped her hand around your wrist. “I promise it’ll be fun. You can pretend you’re an idol or something.”</p><p>You didn’t want to go up there. You suddenly felt sick. Yes, these were all people you knew cared for you. Well, save for the few volleyball members who you hadn’t really gotten the chance to know personally. Everyone was being goofy and not taking this seriously, so why should you?</p><p>You went up to the front of the room and your heart pounded. Yukie handed you a microphone while Kaori rattled off the name of several songs she thought you would like. You nodded to one, finally, and the music started up. You all glued your eyes to the teleprompter. You fumbled with the microphone in your hands and brought it near your lips.</p><p>As the song started up, you could hear Bokuto and Minoru cheer. Kuroo laughed and whistled while Kenma shot you a thumbs-up. Akaashi smiled and nodded. You stuffed down the creeping nausea. You weren’t going to ruin everyone’s good time with a major freakout. Not on a day like this.</p><p>Kaori and Yukie weren’t strangers to this type of thing since they’d done it before. They hooked their arms around you and swayed back and forth. Neither of them were too concerned with their singing. All that bubbling laughter in the middle of it cut through the song and gave you some relief. Your voice started out very quiet, but by the end of the song, you were able to keep up with them and managed to finish with hitting all the right notes.</p><p>It was fun. You were having fun. You sat back down with Kuroo for a moment before he was forced to go up and prove himself. Probably the funniest sight of the night was Akaashi taking the stage and killing it, so much that no one else wanted to follow his act.</p><p>A few hours later, all of you stood outside of the karaoke bar in good spirits. Only a few of you would be heading back to your house for the gifts and cake. Kuroo thanked his teammates for coming and their gifts sat in the backpack he brought with him. You watched him joke and laugh with his friends, immensely happy that he had such a good time.</p><p>“Oh, you have such a pretty voice,” Kaori moaned at you, trudging along. “So unfair.”</p><p>“Your voice is nice too, Kaori.” Yukie patted her shoulder, amused with her pout. “Does this mean we’re going to create a girl group now?”</p><p>“Ooh, yes! Kuroo can be our manager.”</p><p>“Why him?”</p><p>“I don’t know, he seems like he’d be good in business. He’s always on top of things and has a smart comeback. You could travel the world together!”</p><p>You unlocked the front door and let everyone in, hopeful that you did a good job in tidying things up. It was getting late and you didn’t think they would stay very long. Kuroo made himself comfortable on the couch at his usual spot. Bokuto pointed and babbled at the pictures on the walls while Akaashi calmly listened to him. Minoru was trying to convince Kenma <em>and</em> Yaku that he could bench press them and wanted to do a demonstration.</p><p>You opened the fridge and pulled out the cake, which was in pristine condition. You put the candles in place and lit them with ease. Kaori and Yukie gathered the plates and forks so you could all have a slice afterwards.</p><p>“Alright, birthday boy,” you called out, making your way to the dining room table. “Are you gonna blow out your candles, or what?”</p><p>“What, no singing?” he teased.</p><p>Without waiting for your response, Bokuto jumped into the song and encouraged others to join. You managed to belt out the lyrics between giggles. Kuroo bent down and peered up at you while he blew out the candles. Everyone clapped and cheered him on while he took a big swipe of icing on his finger and got up to approach you.</p><p>“No way!” you exclaimed. “Don’t!”</p><p>“Do it, do it!” Kaori pumped a fist.</p><p>Kuroo darted for you before you could even think about running. He swiped the long stripe of icing across your nose. You struggled to push him away so he couldn’t paint your face even more. You rubbed at it before flicking it onto him instead.</p><p>“Okay, okay! Before we have cake, let’s give Kuroo his present!” Kaori had her hands on her hips.</p><p>Yukie left the room and returned with the package. The gift was wrapped neatly with bright red paper and a white bow. You selected the colors in a nod to his volleyball uniform. It was heavier than Kuroo expected, but he took it into his lap as he plopped down onto one of the dining room chairs.</p><p>“You guys all got me <em>one</em> gift?” He smirked. “Cheapskates.”</p><p>“Oh, you’ll totally regret saying that.” You couldn’t stop smiling in anticipation of his reaction. “Go ahead. Open it up.”</p><p>Because he was a pro at getting on people’s nerves, he meticulously peeled away the decorations. Bokuto was about to tear his hair out from how slow he was being. Kuroo popped open the lid of the box and brushed the additional tissue paper inside to focus on what was nestled safely within the padded walls.</p><p>“A volleyball?” he mused, lifting it out and rolling it around in his palms. “Wow. Thanks. I never would’ve guessed.”</p><p>“Why don’t you take a <em>closer</em> look?” Yaku quipped.</p><p>Kuroo turned it over and his cocky smile immediately dropped. He stared for the longest time at the ball, his fingers digging into the leather. All of you exchanged looks and congratulated each other on a job well done. Kuroo glanced at the ball, then you, then back again.</p><p>“Is this for real?” he finally asked, his voice tight.</p><p>“Sure is. That’s why we split the difference between all of us.” You approached him and rested your backside against the edge of the table. “When you watched the last Olympics, you couldn’t stop talking about how cool Saito Nobuharu was. Especially since you guys play the same position. When Kenma and I were talking about what to get you for your birthday, it kinda just hit me. Kenma managed to track down the team manager’s information and I asked them if he would be willing to autograph something. He was kind enough to agree.”</p><p>Kuroo was floored. Aside from his signature, Saito left a brief message thanking Kuroo – by name - for his support.</p><p>“He actually threw in some tickets, too!” Bokuto blurted. “For his next game in Tokyo.”</p><p>Kuroo fished them out of the box and peered at them in disbelief.</p><p>“I think we got him.” Yaku wouldn’t miss the opportunity to lord his reaction over him. “Great job, it was totally worth my allowance.”</p><p>A few seconds of silence passed and Kuroo lifted his head. “Thanks…I, uh, don’t know what to say except for that.”</p><p>“You can say it’s okay to start on your cake.” Yukie pointed to where it sat behind him. “I’ve been dreaming about it all week.”</p><p>Just like that, the spell was broken. Sure, Kuroo was still out of it. He kept turning the ball over in his hands like it was going to disappear any second. You helped pass out the slices of cake while he struggled to compose himself. None of you wanted to tease him anymore, especially since he was clearly enamored with the gift – even more than you could’ve imagined.</p><p>You and Kenma lingered in the kitchen. He came to grab a glass of water after nibbling on his tiny slice of dessert.</p><p>“Thanks for everything. I never would’ve been able to find that info without you.”</p><p>“I’m glad we did it.” He shifted his gaze to the window that overlooked the backyard. “Though, I’m not sure how we’ll manage to top this next year.”</p><p>“Shh. Just enjoy the moment.”</p><p>The excitement winded down soon enough. Bokuto rubbed at his eyes and yawned loudly. He managed to get a stain on his shirt from his overzealous attack on the cake. Akaashi had long since left, his parents’ curfew only allowing him to stay long enough to bring a slice with him. Kaori and Yukie took off as Minoru trailed after them. He'd announced he would see them home safely. Yaku teased Kuroo one last time before also making his exit.</p><p>It was just the three of you. It was nostalgic, in a way. Your own little trio.</p><p>“Do you need any help cleaning up?”</p><p>“I’m good. Thanks, Kenma. Your phone is on the couch by the way, I plugged it in earlier. It should have enough juice to last you through that livestream tonight.”</p><p>Kenma turned towards Kuroo. “You’re staying here, right?”</p><p>“Yeah, that was the plan.” He didn’t even miss a beat. “You’ve got my back?”</p><p>“Mmhmm.” He reached for his jacket and slipped it on, preparing for the brisk walk to his house. “Happy birthday.”</p><p>“Thanks, dude. For coming to the party, too. I know it’s not your thing. Or yours.” He grinned at you. “But it wouldn’t have been the same without you.”</p><p>“It was fun,” he admitted. “Just once a year, though.”</p><p>You finished putting the dishes in the strainer and were glad to see that the place wasn’t too trashed. Just as you’d shut the faucet off, you felt Kuroo's arms encircle your waist as his hands hooked around your tummy. You felt the tip of his nose drop down and brush against the crook of your neck, soon replaced with a pair of soft lips.</p><p>“Been wanting to have you all to myself all night, y’know.”</p><p>You didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of letting him know that his peppered kisses tickled. “Don’t talk to my dress like that, Tetsurou, or I’ll get jealous.”</p><p>You turned around and your hand drifted up to the base of his neck, pulling him down to meet you before he could make another smartass remark. He opened his mouth immediately and slipped his tongue in. He tasted like the cake from earlier. You chased the sweetness with your own tongue, winding it around his, brushing the roof of his mouth, the wet sound of them sliding together the only thing resounding in the otherwise quiet room.</p><p>You let out a hum and pulled back, watching him wipe his mouth with the back of his hand. “Can we…go to my room?”</p><p>He didn’t hesitate. You stumbled down the hallway and went straight for the bed. He pushed you back gently and you dropped onto the pillows, hair fanning around you like a halo, your heart pounding from excitement. You felt his weight sink onto the bed as he crawled on top of you. He bent down and placed a series of small, brief kisses, starting from your hips and creating a long trail up your stomach, to the top of your breasts, your neck, and finally landing on your lips.</p><p>He dove down and his teeth clamped down around your skin. He sucked hard and earned a wince from you. It was obvious he wasn’t too concerned about leaving a mark this time. He pulled back to admire his work as the bruise blossomed almost immediately. He picked another spot and repeated the action, spurred on by your slight gasps.</p><p>You dug your nails into his back and he grunted in surprise. He lifted himself just high enough where you could take a good look at him. His hair was disheveled. Your lipstick left marks all along his cheeks and mouth. His tie was crooked and you wanted nothing more than to tear it off.</p><p>“Tetsurou?” You called out to him, voice shaking. “I want to do it with you.”</p><p>His eyes widened and he shifted so his weight wasn’t pressing so hard on you. “What?”</p><p>You were embarrassed he would make you say it again. “I…want to have sex. Do you have a condom on you?”</p><p>Once again, he didn’t say anything. He just gaped at you. You got a little nervous at his lack of response.</p><p>“N-no, I don’t,” he stammered. “I mean, I’ve never…bought any.”</p><p>You let out a breathy laugh. “Oh. I mean, I just kind of assumed all guys had one ready. Or like shoved in their wallets even though you’re not supposed to do that.”</p><p>His fingers tangled in his hair and he scratched at his neck. “I mean…no, not that I know of. You don’t have any?”</p><p>“No. I guess I should’ve bought some. I got embarrassed.” You bit your lip. “It’s…kind of late, but maybe we could go to the store and grab a box? I would feel better if you came with me.”</p><p>He seemed at a loss. “Uh, yeah…well…if you want to…”</p><p>You sat up and straightened your dress, which he’d managed to yank down your shoulder to leave more hickeys. “Let me just use the bathroom before we go, then.”</p><p>You hopped off the bed, body tingling with desire. The way he felt on top of you…the curve of his muscles and back as he slotted between your legs…your head spun. You closed the door behind you and dropped down onto the toilet after shucking off your already damp panties. You’d even worn a cute pair thinking he would appreciate it.</p><p>As you went to wipe up, you were shocked at how slippery it was. Seriously? Was this all from kissing? You brought it up to fold it in half and your heart dropped.</p><p>It. Was. Red.</p><p>Fucking seriously?! You threw the tissue into the toilet and tore another long sheet from the roll. You had to be sure. You swiped along and your hands shook as you stared down at it, hoping with all your might that you were just seeing things.</p><p>Betrayed. By your own body. By your own ovaries! Wasn’t this what they wanted from you?! To get dicked down?! You cursed under your breath and groaned. Of course this would happen to you. After psyching yourself up and all the preparation beforehand, your little ol’ period decided to stop by and say hello. What you wouldn’t give to slam the door <em>in its face</em> and tell it to fuck off.</p><p>You washed your hands and stepped out. Kuroo took one look at you and paled.</p><p>“What happened?”</p><p>“I’m…sorry, but um…I can’t.” You unfurled your clenched fists. “I thought I could, but—”</p><p>“Thank god,” he muttered, his hands flying to his face. You were shocked to see that he had wiped away a line of sweat near his forehead. “I was freaking out. I thought I was ready. I mean I’ve thought about it all of the time, dreamed about it and stuff…but when you sat there and asked me, it all came at me at once and I...”</p><p>You were mortified. “Wait…you aren’t ready?”</p><p>“No. But you’re not either, right?” He leaned back on the bed, his legs splayed before him. “Or…”</p><p>“I was just saying that I, well, got my period, so, we can’t have sex tonight.” You could just hear fate cackling at you. You were embarrassed beyond belief. “You…oh my god. I’m so sorry. I misread everything, I thought you were excited!”</p><p>Kuroo looked just as uncomfortable. “I got really nervous. I thought if I said no you would think there was something wrong. I know how anxious you get about your body. I swear it has nothing to do with that, I…”</p><p>You shook your head and plopped yourself next to him, the mattress bouncing with your sudden weight. “Tetsurou, nothing is wrong with wanting to wait. I’m honestly…really surprised, is all. I know the last time we did something like this, you really liked it. So I thought you’d want to take it further.”</p><p>Kuroo clasped his hands in front of him, sneaking a glance at you from the corner of his eye. “I did have fun. It was <em>good</em>. In the moment, it felt awesome. I’d never felt anything like that before. But this is…I don’t know, different. Maybe it’s stupid. I just got weirded out because I want it to be…special.”</p><p>You reached over and laced your fingers with his. They were shaking from nervousness. “It’s not stupid. I shouldn’t have assumed anything. I guess I got so caught up in this fantasy that I didn’t really think about what you wanted. I just kept telling myself that, well, it would be a good experience, like…having sex on your birthday. Ugh.”</p><p>“I didn’t mean to ruin it—”</p><p>“No! You didn’t ruin anything. I’m glad you told me before I…before we…” You shuddered at the possibilities. “I guess me getting my period was a good thing, then. Way to have my own ovaries cockblock me for the sake of your happiness.”</p><p>He laughed at that. “Thanks for being so cool about it. I kept thinking about how to tell you. Not like there’s a good way to tell your hot girlfriend that you want to wait.”</p><p>“Better than forcing your super hot boyfriend to do something he doesn’t really want.” You were happy to see that the apprehension had mostly melted from his face. “We don’t have to rush things. I can wait. I’m really, really good with how things are right now. It’s a big deal to you, and to me, so I want it to mean something, too.”</p><p>You accepted his kiss. Kuroo was someone who hid his kindness through tricks, teasing and a sharp edge sometimes. You’d accepted that. When he was honest with you outright, you knew that it was because he trusted you. You weren’t going to push the issue. If anything, you realized you were relieved with the fact that you wouldn’t have to anticipate his reaction to your fully nude body.</p><p>“To be honest with you, I just wanna get out of this stupid shirt.” He tugged at the collar. “Feels like it’s been choking me all night.”</p><p>You reached up and unbuttoned it for him, planting a kiss as a replacement. “Okay. Let’s get changed and go to bed.”</p><p>He left for the bathroom to give you some privacy. You let your dress pool to the floor and kicked it off to the side. Taking away these layers made you feel vulnerable, even knowing he wasn’t in the room. You had to work on that. You didn’t want to chicken out the next time because you were feeling insecure.</p><p>Clad in your pajamas, you both crawled into the covers together. He took in a deep breath and clung to you as he always did. His grip was tight enough for you to feel secure. You curled up to relish the warmth of his body compared to the chilly night air.</p><p>“Happy birthday, Tetsurou.”</p><p>“Thanks,” he murmured. His voice was muffled as he planted himself into your chest. “Love you.”</p><p>“Love you too.”</p><p>You woke up stiff and your throat was sore. Oh, right. You’d been roped into several rounds of karaoke the night before and overworked your voice. You stretched languidly in bed, buried under a mountain of blankets. The other side of the bed was still warm even if Kuroo wasn’t there. You breathed in the pillow he was using and hugged it tight against you.</p><p>“You up?” His voice was distant enough for you to know he was in the kitchen. “I made breakfast.”</p><p>You laughed, still halfway asleep. “Did you burn anything?”</p><p>Silence. You roused yourself from bed and rubbed your eyes as you trudged down the hallway. When you emerged into the kitchen, you spotted Kuroo staring down at the pan like the eggs had personally offended him.</p><p>“You okay there?” You came up behind him and grabbed the waistband of his boxers, snapping them against his lower half just to annoy him.</p><p>“I don’t know what the hell is going on. I was just trying to make fried eggs. I keep overcooking them.” He showed you a red spot on his forearm. “Look at me. The oil popped all over and now I’ll never pursue my dream of being an underwear model.”</p><p>You nudged him with your elbow. “It’s okay. I still love you, even if you are horribly disfigured.”</p><p> He set the plates down and looked proud despite how terrible everything came out. Not that you would tell him. “See? Toldja the next time I slept over I’d make breakfast.”</p><p>“My hero.” You shoveled a mouthful of steaming rice into your mouth.</p><p>“By the way, d’you know where Bokuto put those tickets? Couldn’t find them this morning when I was looking. I wanted to put it in my bag before I forget.”</p><p>You thought about it, the chopstick resting on your lower lip. “I think it’s actually in my room. Akaashi didn’t want him to drop it in the sink since he kept waving it around. I told him to put it on my dresser.”</p><p>Kuroo got up and placed his hands behind his head, rolling his neck around. “He just wanted an excuse to peek into your underwear drawer.”</p><p>“What<em>ever</em>.” You balled up a napkin and threw it at the back of his head. It missed entirely. Damn it, why was your coordination so terrible? “I’m more afraid of you than him.”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah…”</p><p>You continued eating and looked at the notifications on your phone. Kaori and Yukie sent a bunch of pictures in the group chat. You had no idea they had even snapped any of you and Kuroo. You avoided looking at yourself. You already knew that you would hate what you saw. Still, it was your responsibility to swallow your fears and print them off so you could hang them around the house.</p><p>You nearly spit out your food when you clicked on the video. “Tetsurou! Yakkun laughed so hard at Bokuto’s singing he squirted soda out of his nose!”</p><p>You didn’t get a response right away, but you did hear his footsteps down the hall. You turned your head so you could get a better look at his reaction.</p><p>“Hey, did you—”</p><p>You froze. Kuroo stood in the doorway to the kitchen and refused to budge. The seriousness of his expression made your stomach clench nervously. You’d only seen him that angry a handful of times in your life. It never got any easier to accept. You put your chopsticks down and swallowed.</p><p>“Why do you have this?” He gripped his hand tight around the ticket. His lower lip trembled. “Why do you have a one-way ticket to America?”</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Broke: Kuroo is an experienced sexbomb who could make you cum in 2 minutes flat<br/>Woke: Kuroo is a damn nerd who talks a big game and then gets flustered when the tables are turned</p><p>I was wondering, do any of y'all lowkey ship Reader with a guy in this fic other than Kuroo? I'd love to know!</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Trade-off</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You come clean about what happened with the headmaster.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is brought to you by my five month old kitten. She's going through heat TWO WEEKS before her spay consult and drove me up the wall all weekend. :')</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The wall clock ticked on, unperturbed by you drowning in a sea of anxiety and self-loathing. Every second that passed brought you closer to what you suspected was the end of everything. The end of your grandmother’s dream for you to graduate from her alma mater. The end of opportunities that would be otherwise unreachable given your cut ties from this place. The end of all that you had worked for to get here.</p><p>It was no wonder breakfast this morning tasted so bitter.</p><p>Within a week you were back here at the headmaster’s office. It was a place you’d never intended to visit again. Instead of the comfort of Mr. Dobashi at your side to face the judgmental stare of the one authority figure who ruled over you both, you were forced to go alone. You sat in the chair opposing hers, body slouching despite your attempts to keep your posture. You faltered at the pile of paperwork that littered her desk. Were they documents to finalize your expulsion?</p><p>The landscapes lining the walls were meant to be soothing. Instead they suffocated you. You felt like they were purposefully mocking you. They touted serenity and peace in a place where hopes were crushed.</p><p>You heard her footsteps echo down the hallway as she made her way towards you. Even with your back to her, and no idea how her expression read, you could feel beads of cold sweat lining your brow and upper lip. You attempted to brush them away before she got a chance to look at how pathetic you were acting.</p><p>“You’re here early,” she mused. Her voice remained even. You swallowed and waited for her to wrap her hand around the doorknob and close the room off to any wandering ears or eyes. “I’m glad. It tells me you’re serious about what I have to say.”</p><p>She took her time in setting her things down. Her bag went on the nearby coat hook. She started the coffee maker behind her desk. You could only watch helplessly as she waited for the water to boil. You halfway expected her to only drink espressos or buy something every morning at the nearest chain. Much to your surprise, she simply dumped a spoonful of the instant stuff into her mug before she swirled it around within the ceramic.</p><p>“Would you like one?”</p><p>“No thank you.” You didn’t need the caffeine to fuck your stomach up more than it already was. “I appreciate the offer.”</p><p>She hummed and took a tentative sip, leaving a fresh lipstick mark against the rim. She continued to stand over her desk instead of slip into her chair. “I took the liberty of reviewing your recent test scores. I’m sure you’re aware that you’re the top student in your class.”</p><p>“Uh…I didn’t.” You didn’t pay much attention to rankings. Not with everything else going on.</p><p>“It’s quite the accomplishment. It shows me how dedicated you are to your work. In comparison, Aiko’s scores have made quite the dip.” She maintained steady eye contact with you. “I understand her personal life is becoming quite difficult.”</p><p>You didn’t know what to say. You were embarrassed at this entire situation. She saw you and Aiko act like fools. Like children.</p><p>“Aiko has been second to you since the very beginning.” She took another long drink before finally letting the mug settle on her desk. “I was pleased to see two promising new students making such strides to create a friendship with one another. What I didn’t expect were the complications that would come with it.”</p><p>She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I don’t know the specifics of your squabble, nor do I wish to. I saw enough to deduce that it had to do with a boy from a neighboring school. To have such a silly thing get in between two bright young women is…unfortunate. I won’t pretend that the other girls within this institution are innocent in that regard. I’ve broken up my fair share of disagreements and settled things amicably.”</p><p>You followed her as she crossed the room. She plucked something from the file cabinet and you found it thrust in your face.</p><p>“This is correspondence from one of the school board members who happened to be at the martial arts competition. She was appalled to learn that not only one, but <em>two</em> of our most talented students were involved in a petty argument that turned physical. I already knew I would hear from her. However, she demanded that action be taken. She was inconsolable. She concluded that the competition between you is no longer friendly and to continue having both of you attend this school would only cause additional problems.”</p><p>Your heart sank. So this was it. It was Aiko or you. You had no idea who they would choose, but your gut wrenched when you thought of either possibility.</p><p>“I want you to understand something. You were fortunate enough to come to this school on a scholarship. Aiko was not. Normally I wouldn’t be one to discuss such things with a student, but I find it important for you to know.” She reached down and brushed down a rebellious strand of hair sticking up from the top of your head. “Aiko has been working after school in order to pay for her education. At first. A generous donor has since taken care of this, but her financial woes at home remain. She is the sole caretaker for her siblings and she is struggling to pay off her mother’s debts.”</p><p>You had no idea. Aiko never mentioned a job. You supposed it made sense. She was always busy. You just kind of figured that since she was so eager to invite you out to places that she was bored.</p><p>“Coming to our school was a privilege for her, just as it was for you. But as I’ve mentioned before, her grades have suffered. She’s barely making it now. She falls asleep during lectures. She’s isolated from her fellow club members and has now been caught antagonizing her own classmate and friend with outright violence.”</p><p>You felt guilty. You knew it wasn’t your fault. It didn’t spare your feelings, though.</p><p>“If we had to choose which of you stays, then the answer would be obvious.” She walked around the chair and bent down so she was at your height. Her eyes were sharp. You squirmed when she forced you to meet them head on. “I would pick you. Aiko would be expelled. That would be the end of it.”</p><p>“Please don’t,” you found yourself saying. You hadn’t even realized your words until they came out. “She deserves a chance to prove herself. I didn’t know she was under so much pressure. But it’s not fair to take that away from her because of a stupid mistake.”</p><p>“Is that how you really feel? Or do you feel obligated to say so?” The corners of her lips drooped. “Don’t lie to me.”</p><p>“I’m not.” You weren't. “The Aiko I know isn’t like this. I have no idea what’s going on with her at home to distract her so much, but I knew from the beginning that something was wrong. She’s never been this nasty before. If you kick her out, it’ll destroy her.”</p><p>She lifted herself up and finally, <em>finally</em> sat down in her chair. Her hands laced together in front of her and she leaned forward. You weren’t comforted at all.</p><p>“The board member was clear. You two cannot be in the same class until this blows over. We don’t have the option to transfer either of you to another homeroom because it would be a detriment to your education.”</p><p>You wanted to cry. “Then expel me. Okay? Don’t do this to her. She’s busted her ass – excuse my language – and she stuck it out without even telling me. She’s my best friend. I don’t want her future ruined because of this.”</p><p>“As heroic as that sounds, perhaps you’d like to hear about the alternative. I’ll give you a couple of options. Option one: Aiko is expelled.”</p><p>“No.” Your voice was firm. “That’s not an option.”</p><p>“Option two: you’re expelled. I would of course dislike this very much, as would our illustrious board member. I can’t promise that Aiko would be treated the same if this were to get out, and no doubt her punishment would be that she would not be able to keep her job.”</p><p>You shuddered. There was no point to that. If Aiko couldn’t work, she couldn’t pay for things at home. Thinking about any of her siblings going hungry or their power, water or heat shut off…no. you couldn’t let those thoughts run rampant.</p><p>“Option three...” She rested her manicured nail on the stapled stack of papers before her. You watched as she inched it across the desk until the bottom dangled just over the edge. She waited for you to take it.</p><p>You reached out, trembling, and struggled to find the courage to read the title printed on the page. You were floored. “An exchange program?”</p><p>“Yes. An offer extended to you <em>only.</em>” She hooked her hands underneath her chin and batted those mascara-laden eyelashes at you. “For the past few months, we have been communicating with a school in America about starting an exchange program. It was difficult finding one up to our standards, of course. We were successful. We needed a student who was strong in English and would have little difficulty transitioning. Someone who would represent us with impressive grades, a mascot embodying our core values. Someone like you.”</p><p>The jargon across the page bled together. You flipped through the pages even though you knew you weren’t absorbing any of this. “Why can’t…Aiko go?”</p><p>“Aside from not being able to afford the trip and subsequent stay, it would be a moot point considering she has three younger siblings to look after.” Her lips stretched across her face in an eerie smile. “Besides, I’ve already spoke with someone who agreed to be your sponsor.”</p><p>“Sponsor?” You felt a little dizzy. A little sick. Your limbs were boneless now as you struggled to keep your grip on the thick stack of forms.</p><p>A knock on the door nearly jolted you out of your seat. The headmaster called out to the person waiting and they let themselves in. You were alarmed to see Mr. Dobashi slip inside.</p><p>“Perfect timing, Dobashi. I was just telling our little star that you would be paying for the entirety of her stay in America.” She perked an overplucked brow at you. “He was actually the one who advocated for this, you see. I hadn’t intended to send you away. But we were looking for a student to exchange all the same.”</p><p>Mr. Dobashi reached over and gave you an awkward pat on the back. “Are you alright? Do you need some water?”</p><p>“I-I’m fine,” you stammered, your body flushed from stress. “So…how long would I be gone? One semester?”</p><p>“Unfortunately that won’t do. Aside from the board member’s stipulations, the student from the opposing school is vying for complete immersion within our culture. She apparently has been very interested in moving here after high school.”</p><p>“And…and how long would she need?”</p><p>“A year. You would leave at the end of March and start with them in the summer. I believe their school year starts in August. You would return the following April, just in time for a new year with us. You would have to take your final exams in America a month early, but I know you wouldn’t need the extra few weeks to prep.”</p><p>That was more than a year. March to April? That was <em>thirteen months</em>. Thirteen months of being removed from your home here and living overseas. You would be starting from scratch. You would be thrown into an entirely new country with no friends. You would be away from your family, your friends…from Kuroo.</p><p>Oh god, Kuroo! What were you going to do? Your anniversary, your first anniversary, was around that time. You wouldn’t even be able to celebrate it with him.</p><p>What if he didn’t want to wait for you? What if this was a dealbreaker? What if you accepted and this was the end of your relationship? Long distance was hard. It was hard enough not going to the same school. It was hard enough when you lived a few hours away from each other growing up. Now you had to be halfway across the world without him?</p><p>“It’s up to you, of course.” She didn’t seem too bothered your distraught expression. “Although I do need an answer today. The paperwork has to be completed, there’s the matter of purchasing your ticket…”</p><p>You swallowed hard. You weren’t going to let Aiko go to pieces because of you. Regardless of the things she did, that didn’t make it right for you to retaliate and ruin her future. You had no other choice. The best decision you could make was the one you feared the most.</p><p>“Okay. Okay, I’ll do it.” Your tongue felt numb in your mouth. “I’ll participate in the exchange student program.”</p><p>“Excellent.” She tilted her head and shot that honeyed smile toward Mr. Dobashi. “You should thank him for agreeing to be your sponsor, you know.”</p><p>“Thank you.” Your head drooped despite your words. “I…I appreciate it.”</p><p>“You’re welcome. Please see this as an opportunity. I agreed to this because you can benefit from this arrangement far more than Aiko can.” He placed a warm hand on the top of your head. “I promise you’ll be well taken care of. Aside from your host family, I have connections in America that will make sure to check on you now and again. Besides…one of the instructors at that school is a world-renowned author, one I’ve seen on the books you cart around. I think you could learn a great deal from him.”</p><p>You didn’t know what else to say. The heaviness on your shoulders almost felt like too much to bear. You could care less about opportunities. You were more worried about how you were going to tell everyone. You would be gone for so long. Just thinking back to over a year ago, you and Kuroo hadn’t even started dating yet. You were still in junior high. You hadn’t befriended people like Aiko, Yukie, Kaori, Bokuto or even Minoru. It felt like ages ago. You were scared. Was that how it would be when you were overseas?</p><p>“Classes are starting soon. You should head back to the classroom.” She waved her hand at you in dismissal. “I’ll be sending you more information through the mail.”</p><p>You managed to lift yourself out of the chair and walk right out of the room. You didn’t even feel like you were in control of your body. Your eyes glazed over and each step was more labored than the last. Mr. Dobashi kept his pace easily alongside of you. You could see he wanted to comfort you, but you had no interest in what he had to say.</p><p>“I was being serious about how this is a blessing in disguise,” he offered, refusing to part with you even as you filed into the classroom. You dropped down onto your seat and curled into yourself. Tears pricked at your eyes and you lifted a hand to rub and keep them at bay. “It isn’t the end of the world. It will be a great experience for you. Your grandmother would’ve wanted you to expand your horizons and travel.”</p><p>You bit your tongue. Why would he bring her up? Just to soften the blow? You were heartbroken. If it weren’t for her, you would’ve just gone to Nekoma and none of this would’ve happened. You…no. You shook those thoughts out of your head. You did have fond memories of the people you met during this school year. Things could have turned out so differently if you went down another path.</p><p>“I promise that you’ll enjoy your time there.”</p><p>You floated on throughout the day. You hardly touched your food or your phone. The newspaper club members expressed their concerns about how withdrawn you were. You didn’t have the energy or strength to share what happened to you. The hours passed, classes ended, and you found yourself exiting through the school gates.</p><p>“Hey!” Kuroo’s voice dispersed the thick cloud that hung over your head. His lackadaisical expression brought a heady warmth to your chest. “You didn’t answer my texts. What happened? Did you get suspended?”</p><p>You had the option to tell him at that moment. When you tried to open your mouth, all that toppled out was reassuring words. All of them were meant to conceal the truth of what happened beyond those doors. “No, I didn’t. She said, uh…she’d let me off with a warning this time since I wasn’t the one who started it.”</p><p>He didn’t look too impressed. “Seriously? She made you squirm all night just to let you off the hook? She needs to find another hobby besides making people uncomfortable.” His hand threaded through his hair and he pushed a lock of hair out of his eyes. “I was really worried.”</p><p>“You? Worried?” You managed to hide the shakiness to your voice. “Over me?”</p><p>“Aw, shaddup.” He grinned and bent down to slink his arm around your waist, bringing you into a one-armed hug. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you didn’t get punished for something she did. Maybe now she’ll realize she can’t keep pushing you around and back off.”</p><p>“Mm.”</p><p>You lifted your chin so you could study him closely. You wanted to memorize this. Every tiny detail of his face. You wanted to drink in the graceful slope of his nose, the fullness of his lips and the curve of his eyelashes every time he blinked. You wanted to run your fingers through that soft hair and trace the hard lines of his jaw. You wanted to see the way his blush crept up from his chest to his neck in the few moments you had him at your own mercy.</p><p>“Tetsurou, do you…know anything about what might be going on with Aiko? I know it’s stupid, but I am worried about her.”</p><p>He hesitated. “I mean, she’s told me some stuff, but I don’t think it’s my place to share it. Sorry. Not that I don’t want to.”</p><p>“No, I totally get it. I figured as much. She’s been so out of character lately and well…it doesn’t excuse what she did or whatever, I just feel like something is off.”</p><p>“Yeah, I agree.” He adjusted the strap of his bag over his shoulder and offered a hand to you. “But we should go celebrate the fact that you got off scot-free. Not that I’m saying we should blow off her situation…I just think that after all this drama, you need more time to actually have fun. Lucky for you, I’m the most interesting and cool person you could’ve chosen to spend your time with.”</p><p>“And the humblest,” you joked.</p><p>As he led the way, you felt the guilt creep up from the hard pit in your stomach. It would suffocate you if you let it. Instead, you stuffed it all down. You still had time to tell him about what happened. You didn’t want to spend the next few months worrying him. You would just have to pretend like things were normal and hope he didn’t catch on. After all, he didn’t deserve to be so stressed out all of the time.</p><p>Days passed you by, and the issue still sat in the back of your mind. You tried several times to break the news. It felt like every time you attempted to, something got in the way. People would interrupt you, an emergency would come up, he would be too tired or overwhelmed from school and you didn’t want to make things worse for him. Then his birthday rapidly approached.</p><p>You couldn’t bring yourself to shatter him by letting your trip hang over his head. You didn’t want him to spend his days telling himself, “So this is the last time we’ll do this”. It wasn’t fair to him. To make him hyperaware of the dwindling days until your trip and forcing him to put on a brave smile.</p><p>You never expected him to find the ticket.</p><p>There he stood. In the doorway with the evidence of your departure kept in a tight fist. Every negative emotion you wanted to spare him from…just emerged all at once. He was angry, rightfully so, that you’d kept something like that hidden away. He didn’t even know what it was for. He was smart enough to see that it was something you didn’t want him to know about, though, and your betrayal was enough to set him off.</p><p>“Why do you have a one-way ticket to America?”</p><p>You were at a loss for words at first. You’d been trying to find the right moment to tell him that you never thought about what you would say. You chewed on your lower lip and decided that the best bet was to rip it off like a band-aid. Kuroo would appreciate that more than anything else. He was a person who valued honesty.</p><p>“I was enrolled in an exchange student program and I’m going to be living in America next year. I’m sorry, Tetsurou. I tried to tell you…I wanted to…but it was never the right time.”</p><p>He stood there, unblinking, unmoving. His voice trembled. “Why?”</p><p>“Because of everything that happened with Aiko.” You felt so small under his heavy gaze. “The headmaster gave me an ultimatum. There was no other way Aiko could stay in Hanagasuku if I refused. She would’ve been expelled.”</p><p>You weren't sure what you expected. Kuroo was cool and collected. It felt like nothing got under his skin. Even when you broke the bad news that you were going to a private school instead of Nekoma, he took it in stride. He managed to put a wry smile on his face and power through it. You felt guilty knowing that a big part of the reason why was because he cared for you so much. He would support you no matter what. At least, you hoped he would.</p><p>“So…you lied to me this entire time.” He phrased it as a statement, not a question. “When I asked you that day after your talk with the headmaster, you never said anything. You knew all the way back then?”</p><p>You nodded. “I did.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>It was the second time he’d asked you that question in the last minute or so. You tried not to crumble under his obvious judgment. “I was scared of what you might say. I was in denial. I was still upset that I had to leave you and everyone else…I still <em>am</em>. I didn’t want this to hang over you, especially not with the qualifiers and your birthday coming up.”</p><p>“When were you gonna tell me, then?” He peered at the ticket and zeroed in on the fine print. “This is dated for March. That’s four months away.”</p><p>“I-I don’t know. Like I said, it just didn’t seem like the right time—”</p><p>“That’s…a hell of a thing to hide from me and everyone else. It’s been <em>weeks.</em>” The tension in his shoulders increased a tenfold as something seemed to flit across his mind. “Is that why you were so desperate to have sex last night? It was out of nowhere. We never even talked about it.”</p><p>You were ashamed to tell him he was right. You’d been feeling him the entire night, sure. The thought of sharing that moment with him when he was still blissfully ignorant and riding high from the celebration won you over. You thought for sure he would say yes. You were apprehensive, but you didn’t want to leave things as they were.</p><p>“That’s kind of fucked up.” He shifted his stance so he could cross his arms, shifting his weight to the opposite leg. “If we had done it, and then…you just leave a little while afterwards without giving me the heads up.”</p><p>You could feel the blood rush to your face. He made a good point. It was awful for you to do. You didn’t consider how he would react if he were to share that moment with you and then have to let you go.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” you repeated, the words thick in your throat. You blinked rapidly to prevent the tears from forcing their way out. “I wanted it to be special. I wanted it to be a good memory for you, so that…when I…”</p><p>“Stop.” He shook his head. “I don’t even know what to think at this point. You…do this shit all of the time, you know? We’re supposed to be a couple. But you hide stuff like this and don’t ever think about how I’ll feel. You lied by omission when you went to take the Hanagasuku entrance exams because you were too much of a coward to tell me up front. Then you do this. You accepted something this big without even talking it over with me…or anyone. Unless I’m the last one to find out.”</p><p>“No – my parents are the only ones who know.” You didn’t want him to think that he was being pitied by people on all sides. “Tetsurou. What I did with Hanagasuku – that was messed up. I should’ve come clean. I was overwhelmed because I didn’t want to be apart from you. I never do. Even something like this. It <em>hurts</em> thinking I’ll be gone for a whole year. I’m…I’m tired of making you chase after me. Aiko told me she felt bad because it seems like you’re always the one trying to catch up. Like I don’t even want this relationship. That’s not true.”</p><p>“You sure don’t act like it.” He exhaled. “It does feel like that. All the time. I thought I made it really clear when we were kids how into you I was. I turned down so many girls thinking we’d finally be able to hook up. I’m not gonna lie, I was a little proud of the fact that you got so jealous when Aiko flirted with me. But it’s a lot. I’ve tried to let you do your own thing because I don’t wanna be a weird, controlling boyfriend. Stuff like this makes me wonder if you’d be fine if we just broke up.”</p><p>You felt sick. Vertigo snatched you up in its piercing grip and nausea bloomed in your stomach. “No. No, I don’t want to break up. But I also just…don’t want you to feel like you’re hounding me, because you’re not! I’m…sorry, Tetsurou. I’m not a good person, not good enough for you. I still sit here wondering half the time if this is even real, and the other half telling myself that you deserve better. I don’t like the person I am. I don’t like how I can be so cynical and judgy and secretive. I hate making you upset and it feels like that’s all I ever do. I want to be with you, but I’m scared that if I put myself out there it’ll blow up in my face. You’ll see the shitty person I am inside and realize I wasn’t who you thought I was. So I keep you at arm’s length because I’m <em>scared</em>.”</p><p>Kuroo looked defeated. “I don’t get it. I don’t get how you can say all that stuff about yourself when none of it is true. You’re telling me that you lie and hide everything from me because you don’t want me to hate you? How could you ever think that? I’ve known you since we were kids. Yeah, I’ve seen you be selfish, bitchy, mean. But that’s true for everyone.</p><p>“The girl I love is all of that, yeah, but there’s more to you. I think you’re drop dead gorgeous even if you don’t see it or even believe it. I think you’re gonna do great things. I think that you’re one of the most sincere people I’ve ever met and you stick your neck out for people who don’t deserve it.</p><p>“If it were me, I dunno if I’d let Aiko stay in that school. But you’re gonna do that for her because you care about her. You’re gonna give up everything just to make sure she’s still happy. Even though it pisses me off, it’s also just like you. You just take this burden on for everyone no matter how much it might hurt you. Other people would say it takes a lot of balls or you’re too nice. Maybe they’re right. But it’s who you are and it’s why so many people who you manage to let in <em>really, really</em> care about you. Especially me.”</p><p>You didn’t know what else to say. “I’m sorry,” you murmured, voice so small. “I should’ve told you a long time ago. You’re right. It wasn’t fair to hide it…I-I just don’t like confrontation and, like I said, I was nervous…”</p><p>Kuroo sighed and rubbed his eye with the heel of his hand. He looked exhausted despite the fact that you’d gotten a full night’s rest. The sunlight streamed in from the window and illuminated the crinkle in his brow as he struggled to compose himself.</p><p>“Did you think I’d break up with you over this?”</p><p>You couldn’t deny it. “Yes. You…you’re right, you’re constantly waiting for me and this is just another obstacle. It’s not fair…to make you wait a whole year.”</p><p>“Well, you’re doing it again,” he pointed out. “You’re deciding for me. I’m the other person in this relationship, right? If you want to break up, if you <em>really</em> do, then…I guess that’s that. You can’t be a couple with just one person. But I’m sure as hell not giving you up. I don’t care where you are or how long I have to wait. There’s <em>no one else.</em>”</p><p>You really hadn’t expected him to make such a bold declaration. Especially considering where this conversation started. You were a little starstruck by him at that moment. He held such conviction over his feelings for you. You couldn’t help but wonder why. Any other guy his age would’ve lost interest and moved on. What was about it about you that was so special?</p><p>“You have a wall calendar, right?” He moved to the kitchen and looked around for the one you kept hanging around to remind you of his upcoming games and practices. He flipped through the pages, glanced at the ticket, then zeroed in on the date he was looking for. “It’s November 18<sup>th</sup>. Your flight leaves on March 31<sup>st</sup>.” He paused for a moment to do some quick calculations. “That’s a hundred and thirty-four days. A little over four months. If that’s how much longer we have until you leave, then we’re gonna make it count.”</p><p>He rummaged around the nearby junk drawer before he found what he was looking for. After twirling the permanent marker between three of his fingers, he circled the date of your trip for emphasis. You were perplexed.</p><p>“I’m not going to count down the days because that’s depressing. But at least we can check here from time to time and see where we’re at.” He dropped the marker down onto the counter. “We’ve got one more Christmas with Kenma’s family before then. One more New Year’s with yours. One more Valentine’s Day and one more White Day. We’ve got all these good things happening and we’re not gonna let the trip ruin it. Right?”</p><p>“But…” You hesitated. “But I don’t want to put more stress on you, Tetsurou—"</p><p>“Look.” He interrupted you before you could say anything else. “You worry too much about me. Sometimes you have to let me worry about <em>you</em>. You’ve been keeping this secret for a long time. Even if I’m mad about it, I’m not gonna sit there and guilt trip you about it forever. And you’re the one who throws tantrums, not me. So…yeah, it sucks, and yeah, it’s going to be hard. I won’t lie. But I’m not gonna let this stand in our way. Are you?”</p><p>You knew you weren’t the most optimistic type of person. Kuroo always called you too serious and was quick to tease you about it. Even though you knew how much he cared about you, the truth was you were terrified that he would dump you because of this. You were still a little disoriented that he was coping with this the way he did with all of his bad news – by minimizing it and trying to put things into perspective. In the grand scheme of things, one year was nothing compared to the many you shared together.</p><p>“No,” you told him firmly, trying to halfway convince yourself. “I won’t.”</p><p>“Good. Then…” He set the ticket on the counter and walked over to you. You were still seated at the kitchen table and by now your meal was ice cold. He dropped down to his knees and placed both palms on your thighs. He leaned forward and you watched him tilt his head just right – an obvious invitation for a kiss. “Don’t make me beg.”</p><p>“So you admit I’m the one calling the shots?” you giggled, earning a playful narrowing of his eyes.</p><p>He opened his mouth to protest and you shut him up with the kiss he had been so desperate to receive. Your hand drifted toward his cheek and you brushed your thumb along the sharpness of his cheekbones, drawing circles along his soft skin. His eyes fluttered shut and he released some of the tension he’d been holding, the two of you melting together with soft and supple kisses that drew small noises from your throats.</p><p>He pulled away and you ran your thumb along his lower lip. “So now what?”</p><p>“Now you get to tell everyone you’re leaving.” He didn’t leave any room for you to argue with him; not when I’d already hidden the truth for so long. “Everyone needs to know, it’s not fair to keep them in the dark. Just…bring some tissues when you talk to Owl Hair, alright? I think he might just flood the entire city.”</p><p>Shit. You didn’t even think about Bokuto’s reaction. He was so over-the-top in everything he did. You could already imagine him clinging to your leg while you tried to go through the airport gate. The thought did manage to get a laugh out of you.</p><p>Kuroo grinned. “Much better. Sorry about your food.”</p><p>He made a move to grab it, probably to toss it in the trash. You curled your arms around your plate. “It’s fine, I’ll just reheat it.”</p><p>“C’mon, I’ll just make you some more.”</p><p>The tension in the room dissipated and you shared a meal together like nothing happened. Was it a little anticlimactic on your part? Maybe. But Kuroo’s reaction really shouldn’t have surprised you. As confusing as it was, he really did love you. This kind of news wasn’t a dealbreaker for him. A small part of you still wondered if it was guilt or obligation that persuaded him to stay with you. You couldn’t help it. He told you otherwise and you would just have to put your trust in him.</p><p>The rest of the week went by smoothly. You and Kuroo decided you would gather everyone up during the weekend to let everyone else know what was going on. It sucked having to keep quiet about it to Kenma. But Kuroo thought it would be best if everyone was in one place so you wouldn’t have to answer questions over and over again.</p><p>You did wonder what the headmaster told Aiko. Did she mention that you would be leaving the country? The two of you were in the same homeroom but to your knowledge she’d been suspended for a little while. When she did come back, the two of you would be moved to opposite sides of the room and monitored closely. If either one of you antagonized the other, you would both be expelled. You didn’t want that, and it was clear Aiko didn’t, so you weren’t too worried about it.</p><p>You felt guilty for ruining everyone’s high spirits. Kuroo’s birthday was the most fun you'd had in a long time. Now you had to go and spoil it with talk about you leaving.</p><p>You stressed the importance of the meeting so no one would back out. You’d been okay at the time. Now sitting in the open field next to the volleyball court, you became apprehensive. You’d all agreed to have a picnic since today still wasn’t too cold. Everyone was encouraged to bring a dish so you could share. The guys had gone to play a couple of sets of volleyball and were now ready to chow down.</p><p>You went along the circle of your friends. Kaori, Yukie, Bokuto, Minoru, Yaku, Kenma and Akaashi. You were humbled that they were all here.</p><p>“So? What’s the big news? Did Kuroo pop the question?” Kaori joked.</p><p>Bokuto flushed. “F-for <em>real?!</em>”</p><p>Yukie snickered at how he already jumped to about a thousand different conclusions. “Bokuto, we were just joking.”</p><p>“OH! I got really worried.” Bokuto grinned and rubbed the back of his neck. “Y-you two are still so young, you know!”</p><p>“You’re the same age as us, dude,” Kuroo shot back. “Besides, that’s not why we’re here.”</p><p>“Must be serious if he isn’t playing along.” Yaku leaned back on his hands. “Spill it.”</p><p>“Well…” You had no idea how to even broach this subject. They were all so attentive. You weren’t sure how you managed to make so many friends, but it hurt to know that you wouldn’t be able to stay like this forever. “You guys remember how Aiko and I got into that fight…at the martial arts competition, right? I…met up with the headmaster the next day and she agreed not to expel either of us, but she had a price.”</p><p>Yaku looked the most dissatisfied with your words. “You never mentioned this before.”</p><p>“I…I know. I lied about it because I thought if I did, then it would go away or something. I don’t know.” Your fists rested on your thighs and you squeezed hard, steeling yourself for the next part. “In exchange for not expelling us, I…basically agreed to participate in an exchange student program…so Aiko and I wouldn’t be in the same class for a while.”</p><p>All of them were a little confused. “How long is…a while?” Kenma finally broke the silence. You could tell this was important to him, especially because he chose to speak up instead of just listen.</p><p>“A year.” You couldn’t bring yourself to look at them. You were sure their expressions were a mix of confusion, shock and horror. “I’ll be gone for my entire second year.”</p><p>A few beats passed. Bokuto shifted in his seat uncomfortably. “Don’t worry, it’ll be okay!” he reassured you. “We can always come visit you on the weekends! Which prefecture is it? Miyagi?”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s not a big deal at all. We travel a lot for games anyway so we can always make time to meet up.” Kaori waved a hand dismissively. “Plus we can always spend time together when vacations roll around.”</p><p>You were heartbroken that you had to pull them out of their incorrect assumptions. “No, it’s…it’s not me going to another school here in Japan. I’ll be going to America.”</p><p>“As in…the U.S.?!” Bokuto gaped. “HUH?!”</p><p>“This is…a joke, right?” Kaori laughed nervously, eyes flicking back and forth between you and Kuroo. “I have to admit, you guys are pretty good actors!”</p><p>“It’s…not a joke…at all.” You let the words settle for a bit. “I’m sorry. I’ve been hiding this for a few months and Tetsurou found out the other day. I shouldn’t have kept it from you guys…any of you.”</p><p>Bokuto jumped up from his spot. He was crushed. Before you could say anything else, he took off running down the field and out of sight. You watched the sheen of his hair disappear over the hill.</p><p>“Shoot…” Yukie’s lip trembled as she made a move to stand up. “I should—”</p><p>“It’s alright.” Akaashi was already on his feet. He glanced at you from the corner of his eye and shot you a reassuring smile. It was thin and half-hearted. “I will talk to him.”</p><p>“Are you sure? He’s not an easy person to deal with. He gets really emotional about this kind of thing.” Yukie spoke from experience, after all. She’d seen many of his mood swings over the course of her time as an assistant manager.</p><p>Akaashi nodded. “I told her that I would try to help the team by compensating for Bokuto’s weaknesses. I fully intend to keep that promise.” He paused for a moment before leaving and his piercing eyes found yours. Akaashi was the epitome of maturity and collectedness. It was jarring to see the flicker of sadness within him. “We can speak more about this later…I’ll be back soon.”</p><p>He went after Bokuto. You were only relieved for a moment before Yaku brought himself to his feet as well. The hurt written in his expression caused your heart to pang uncomfortably in your chest.</p><p>“That’s it? You’re going to do this for her sake? Why?” The “demon” side that Kuroo playfully referred to was now in full swing. It wasn’t amusing in the slightest. “You didn’t do anything wrong, so why should you be punished for it?”</p><p>“If I didn’t say yes, they would expel her, and she—”</p><p>“So what? You didn’t force her to put her hands on you. You didn’t do anything wrong. She made up a bunch of lies about you, tried to get <em>you</em> in trouble, and then you defend her? I don’t understand you at all. Why are you acting like you’re doing something heroic? It’s just stupid.”</p><p>“Hey,” Kuroo warned. “Watch it.”</p><p>“It’s fine…” You didn’t want the two of them to get into it because of this. Not when they made so much progress in befriending each other. “Yakkun, I know that this is a lot to take in, but really believe this is the right thing to do. Of course part of me wanted to get her thrown out of school, but then what? Besides, she’s going through a lot of stress at home—”</p><p>He interrupted you yet again. “<em>Stress</em> means you might snap at someone. Stress doesn’t make you spread rumors, try to seduce someone’s boyfriend and then attack them.”</p><p>“Yakkun…<em>please</em>. I’m not changing my mind.”</p><p>His face went red and he scoffed, turning on his heel. “Fine. Just let her step all over you.”</p><p>His words did hurt. Yaku did have problems with his temper. He was a supportive and kind friend and you loved him very much. Knowing him for all of these years showed you that he had his own problems. He was protective of you and was worried about what this meant for your future. You couldn’t blame him for that.</p><p>Yukie and Kaori were oddly quiet. You expected them to drill you about what happened. They seemed…more closed off. You were going to say something to break the tense silence, but then Kaori just started to cry.</p><p>“Sorry,” she stammered, hurriedly wiping her face. “I don’t want to make you feel even worse! I just need a second.”</p><p>Yukie rubbed her back to comfort her. “We’re just really going to miss you.”</p><p>“I-I know. I’m going to miss you guys, too.” It was a shame. All three of you had gotten so close over the last few months. You loved spending time with them. Knowing it would come to an end soon was hard for all of you.</p><p>Minoru hadn’t said anything yet and you wondered if you managed to break him. To your utter surprise, he crossed his legs and leaned forward with a bright smile on his face.</p><p>“You get to go to America for a whole <em>year</em>! That’s a huge opportunity! I’ve never been there and I’ve always wanted to go. It gives you a lot of time to sightsee, too! A year might seem like a long time, but I’m sure it’ll go by super fast! I think it’s great that you’re being the bigger person and going through with it.”</p><p>You were touched at his words. He always knew how to look at the bright side of things. “I…thanks, Minoru. I’m just sad that I’ll be apart from all of you.”</p><p>“Well, I’m graduating this year, but that doesn’t mean I’m planning to abandon anybody once school’s over! We’re friends and we stick together. You should think of this as an adventure! You can count on all of us to keep in touch and if you ever get homesick, I can definitely send you a care package whenever you want!”</p><p>You couldn’t help but smile at him. “I’d love that.”</p><p>“In exchange, I’ll keep an eye on everyone here.” He beamed. “No one will have anything bad happen to them on my watch. I’ll make sure that they’re all happy and healthy. Just say the word and I’ll even drag Kuroo out with me to work out. After all, nothing feels better than taking your stress out in a run or some weight training!”</p><p>Kuroo’s face drained of color and you burst out laughing.</p><p>Minoru was pleased with your reaction and stood up. He walked toward you and offered you his hand. You took it and he pulled you up into a tight hug. When he reared back, his arms encircled around your waist. You let out a small cry of surprise when he lifted you off the ground with ease. He hoisted you up much farther than you expected. You clasped his shoulders to steady yourself.</p><p>“I won’t put you down until you promise you’ll try to have fun and make new friends!” he exclaimed. “Don’t let this opportunity pass you by, okay?”</p><p>“Okay, okay,” you choked out, embarrassed at his booming voice drawing attention from other people nearby. “I promise!”</p><p>He set you down and winked. You shook your head in exasperation. He really was something else.</p><p>“He’s right!” Kaori cried. Her tears finally dried. “We can’t all mope around. It’s not healthy. If you’re leaving in the spring, then that just means we have to hang out more. Right?”</p><p>“Yup.” Yukie nodded. “There’s no reason to waste our energy being sad. It won’t change anything.”</p><p>You were touched. “That means a lot.”</p><p>“C’mon. Akaashi is kind of taking a while; he might not have been too successful with Bokuto. We’ll be right back.”</p><p>The girls took off together, fully intending to use any means necessary to get Bokuto’s spirits back up. Minoru thought about it and decided he would go, too. After all, he and Bokuto were good friends now. They shared the same amount of enthusiasm.</p><p>It was just you, Kuroo and Kenma left. Kenma hadn’t said anything yet, mostly because he was still processing it. He recoiled at everyone’s outbursts. With some time to reflect and gather his thoughts, he lifted his head up and peered at you a little anxiously.</p><p>“You’ll stay with a host family…?”</p><p>“Yeah. I won’t be alone.”</p><p>“No, you won’t. You have all of us. The time difference will be a pain, but…we’ll make it work.” He peered down at his phone and flashed you the clock app. “Where exactly will you be? That way I can pick the right time zone.”</p><p>Leave it to Kenma to want to rely on technology to cope with this big change.</p><p>“It’ll be different, but…you’re strong,” he affirmed. “You’ve gone through a lot of things where you had to be on your own. I think – no, I know you can do it.”</p><p>“Heh, see? Even Kenma gave you his vote of confidence.” Kuroo smirked. “He’s just excited because he wants you to scope out all of the region-locked games.”</p><p>Kenma got flustered. “No, I’m not.”</p><p>“Don’t be an ass,” you shoved Kuroo playfully. “Don’t worry, Kenma. I get where you’re coming from. I’ve done a lot of stuff I never thought I’d be able to and I always managed to get through it because I knew you guys were there for me. This is no different.”</p><p>“Yeah….” He closed his eyes and sighed. “This is what you decided, so we’ll support you. It doesn’t matter where you are, because you’re always going to be our special person and the one we care about the most.”</p><p>Kuroo snatched a dorayaki from the pile in front of him and bit into it ravenously. “Basically, we’re connected and nothing’s gonna break that bond. We’ve been through way too much to let something like this get in the way. And Kenma? You can say you love her, dude, I promise I won’t get jealous.”</p><p>Kenma froze and his eyes blew wide. “I…I do,” he nearly whispered.</p><p>“Do what?” Kuroo leered at him, eyebrows raised. Kenma struggled to find the right words. It didn’t matter because Kuroo was dead set on teasing him. “You looove her, right?” When nothing came out of Kenma’s mouth, Kuroo roared with laughter at how he managed to put him on the spot.</p><p>You grabbed the half-eaten dorayaki and ate the rest of it yourself. It backfired, though, because Kuroo took that opportunity to try and get revenge by pulling you into a kiss. He tackled you to the ground and Kenma sighed, eyes swiveling upwards.</p><p>“Oh, wow,” you heard a few seconds later. “We left you guys for not even five minutes! Kuroo, don’t you know what ‘restraint’ means?” Kaori scolded.</p><p>You pushed Kuroo off you to stand up and went red.</p><p>“It’s nothing we haven’t seen before. She jumped him at his birthday party.” Yukie shot you both a lazy smile. “We managed to get Bokuto back.”</p><p>Bokuto still had a very obvious pout on his face. He hung back from the group and Minoru gave him a very well-meaning shove forward. He stumbled out and faced you, though his chin still hit his chest and his fingers unfurled from clenched fists.</p><p>“Y-you…won’t forget about me…right?” He was so vulnerable right now and you gave Kuroo a hard nudge so he wouldn’t take advantage of it. “We’ll still be friends?”</p><p>“Yeah, of course we will.” You put your hands on your hips and dipped down so you could try to catch his line of sight. “Besides, I’ll need updates on the rising star of Fukurodani himself. How else will I know when you become the ace while I’m away?”</p><p>His head snapped up and the surprise morphed into pride. “You think I can do it?! In a year?!”</p><p>“I’m positive.” You weren’t lying. Bokuto was an obvious choice compared to anyone else on his team thus far. “I’m trusting you with this, Bokuto. You’d better show me that you weren’t all talk when we first met!”</p><p>The gloom hanging over his head disappeared. “Of course I wasn’t! I wasn’t lying! I’m gonna be the number one ace of Japan, just you watch me! Akaashi and Kaori and Yukie will help me, too! Right, guys?!”</p><p>“That’s right,” Yukie told him, thankful that his mood had lightened up.</p><p>“We’ll support you.” Akaashi crossed his arms and shot you a furtive smile in response to Bokuto’s cheers. You were so glad to see that he was growing more comfortable with the club members. “That means you’ll have to work hard.”</p><p>“I can do it!” Bokuto barked. He wasted no time in snatching your hands in his. It was probably just to emphasize how serious he was, plus it gave him a reason to invade your personal space. “I’ll practice every day! I’ll spike a thousand balls after each practice! I won’t let any team score a single point in the set!”</p><p>“Okay, maybe he’s going a little overboard,” Kaori whispered to Yukie, the both of them bewildered at his quick turnaround.</p><p>Kuroo slapped him hard on the shoulder. “Alright, Owl Hair. We get the message. Now put your money where your mouth is and show her what a future ace looks like. We’ve got a net right over there.”</p><p>“Yeah!” Bokuto released you and shouted in happiness as he skipped to the court. All of you laughed when he was out of earshot.</p><p>“It’s a little scary at how fast he bounces back, but I guess this is better than him going into…you know.”</p><p>“Emo mode?” you offered.</p><p>Yukie snapped her fingers. “That’s a good one! Emo mode. We’re going to use that from now on.”</p><p>The group split up. Akaashi and Kuroo darted off to the court so they could play since Bokuto was yelling at them to join. Kenma got dragged along against his will. Minoru decided he would watch from the sidelines so he could learn more about the sport. Kaori and Yukie plopped down with you on the blanket and drilled you for more information about the program and where you’d be staying. They were adamant in letting you know that you had to take a ton of selfies – or else.</p><p>You looked around for Yaku and didn’t see him. You wanted to go looking for him. You knew him well enough that he needed time to cool off. He couldn’t have been far. You told yourself that he would reach out to you when he was ready.</p><p>Sure enough, you phone buzzed and you saw his text. You excused yourself from the girls and headed over to the nearby playground.</p><p>Yaku was on the swing set. He pushed off the ground and let his body sway back and forth only slightly. You ambled over to where he was and plopped down on the one next to him, wincing when the chains creaked at your added weight.</p><p>“This is stupid,” he declared, still not looking at you.</p><p>“It kind of is.” You didn’t even try to hide the amusement in your voice.</p><p>You merely watched the gentle wind ruffle his hair. His hands clenched and squeezed the rusted chains until his skin flushed a healthy pink. With his body hunched, he kept his stare on the ground as his shoes dragged along the dirt.</p><p>“It’ll be okay, Yakkun.”</p><p>“I’m not worried about the situation. I’m worried about <em>you</em>.” He sucked in a deep breath and let it out through his nose. “You’re the type of person who says it’s okay when it’s clearly not. I want to make sure you won’t regret this decision. It’s asking a lot.”</p><p>You reached over and rested your hand on the ball of his shoulder. “Okay then, I’ll rephrase: <em>I’ll</em> be okay. I won’t lie and say I’m a hundred percent okay with this, or that I’m not scared. I’m terrified. But…I know that if I were to back out, I would feel a thousand times worse. I’m not doing this to punish myself for anything. I just want to give Aiko the opportunity to learn and grow from her mistake so this doesn’t ruin her future.”</p><p>He reached up and rested his hand on yours, his fingers cold and clammy. “You’d better text us every day. I mean it. Every. Single. Day. And don’t skip meals at school because you’re too embarrassed to eat in front of other people, either. You have to join at least one club. If you’re going out at night, you have to bring someone with you. Actually, just don’t go out at night at all. It’s dangerous. We should check the altitude of where you’re going, too. What about allergies? You’ll be there in the spring and lots of plants you’ve never been around will be shooting pollen off everywhere. I’m going to be with you when you pack so you don’t forget anything. Also…”</p><p>As Yaku ranted on and on about every single possibility he dreamed up, you just drank in the sight of him and let the final shred of doubt fizzle out in your heart.</p><p>You could do this.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It's OK, you can yell at me in the comments. I'll only cry a little bit!</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Kindred Spirits</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kenma's family is having a party to celebrate Christmas. Of course you and Kuroo are invited.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>What a stressful week it's been!!! The election shortened my lifespan by about ten days. Sheesh! I wrote the majority of this chapter with the help of some moscato d'asti...maybe I should list her as a co-author.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Are you sure you don’t want something to drink?”</p><p>“No thank you.” Mr. Dobashi gave your mother one of his guaranteed sweep-you-off-your-feet smiles, the dimples in either cheek peeking out. “You don’t have to dote on me so much. I’m just here on official business, is all.”</p><p>You squirmed in your chair. Was it always this hard? You’d only been sitting on the cushion for five minutes and it felt like your bottom half was numb. You’d been positioned directly in front of the fancy webcam that sat on top of your ancient computer. Pearls before swine, surely. You kept staring at the lens like it would combust if you willed it hard enough. Being on film was a pain. If you looked down too much, then all they would be able to see was your double chin. If you looked up too much, they would get a roundness glaringly reminiscent of the moon.</p><p>“How long do you think this is gonna take?” you mumbled. Your stomach clenched in response. Just a gentle reminder that you and anxiety were still begrudging best friends. “I’m really bad at small talk.”</p><p>“Don’t worry. I’ve spoken with her a couple of times when we were discussing possible candidates. She’s very enthusiastic and will most likely dominate the conversation.” Mr. Dobashi patted you on the head, amused at the side-eye you shot him. “I’m going to start the call. Just try to relax.”</p><p>He hit the CALL button and you could feel your heartbeat picking up speed. This was not a drill! You were about to go live! You suddenly thought of every possible way you could fuck this up. You tried to steel yourself and wait for the inevitable. No big deal, just successfully making a complete ass out of yourself in front of a foreigner, her parents (who you’d be staying with for a year) and her teacher!</p><p>The video clicked on and your eyes flicked to your own image. You couldn’t see how you looked from this far away. You had the biggest urge to ogle yourself until you were absolutely sure you looked presentable. The opportunity didn’t present itself, though. You soon found your attention snatched away by the excited cry of the girl who would be taking your place.</p><p>“Hi!” she all but squealed. “This is so cool. Can you guys hear me okay?”</p><p>“Loud and clear,” Mr. Dobashi affirmed. “Good to see you again, Oaklynn. Did your winter break start yet?”</p><p>“Yes, thankfully. I am <em>sooo</em> done with school. Just one more big round of tests until I fly out.” She certainly looked enthusiastic. She had on some kind of anime sweatshirt from a series you weren’t familiar with. Her wispy, platinum blonde hair was thrown into a haphazard bun. She brought a brightly painted nail to her lips and tugged on the end of it thoughtfully. “Is this her?”</p><p>“It is.” Mr. Dobashi nudged you. “Introduce yourself.”</p><p>You choked on your words and managed to let them tumble out of your mouth. She didn’t seem too bothered at how you nearly butchered your greeting in English.</p><p>“You don’t have to talk in English, it’s totally cool. I’d rather practice my Japanese. Mr. Dobashi told me that you’re fluent already, but I’m still learning…so please be gentle with me!”</p><p>You nodded.</p><p>“These are my dads! They’re the ones going to be looking after you while I’m away.” She grinned and swiveled the camera around on her phone. Both of them waved and greeted you. “Are those your mom and dad?”</p><p>“Uh…yeah.” You let them come into frame. “I actually live by myself near the school for now. You’ll be with them at their place. It’s not that far and you can take the train.”</p><p>“Of course, if you’re more comfortable with it, we can always drive you to and from school,” your mom chimed in. “We don’t mind at all. The transit can be a little crazy here and we wouldn’t want you getting lost.”</p><p>You were mostly quiet while your mom made conversation with them. She was always good at breaking the ice and making other people feel comfortable. You listened. Oaklynn’s accent bled through a lot of her words and her pronunciation came off a little wonky, but what mattered was that you understood what she was saying. She would pick up on the nuances here and there once she interacted with people day to day.</p><p>“That’s Mr. Hinsen. I told him about how you’re a fan of his books. I may have shown him a few essays you submitted to me over the year, as well as that article you wrote for the Fukurodani volleyball club.” Mr. Dobashi was so quick to sing his praises of you. It was embarrassing as hell. “He’s going to be your literature teacher.”</p><p>You regarded each other stiffly. The guy seemed to be a man of few words, which you were totally cool with. You didn’t have much to say as it was. How do you approach someone whose works you’ve read since you were in elementary school? His repertoire was almost as impressive as that handlebar mustache.</p><p>You took a backseat for the rest of the meeting. You observed everyone’s conversations and tried to absorb what you could. Oaklynn was interested in becoming an English teacher out here. She was fascinated with tea ceremonies, of all things. She didn’t seem nervous at all to be going abroad on her own. Then again, she was going to an elite private school – her parents were no doubt well-off and well-traveled.</p><p>“Okay, talk to you guys next week!”</p><p>The call ended and you felt like you could finally exhale. The tension you'd been holding in your shoulders melted away. You could finally stop obsessing over how you looked on her side of the screen and just slump over in your clothes. Nothing went wrong. You were awkward as hell, yeah, but she wasn’t rude or snotty in any way.</p><p>“I told you she’s harmless.” Mr. Dobashi rose from his seat to grab his webcam so he could pack it away. “I think she’ll adjust well to Hanagasuku. She plays soccer, volunteers at the local animal shelter, participates in academic decathlons and works as a part-time waitress, so she’s well-rounded and able to prioritize her time accordingly.”</p><p>Hearing those accomplishments listed off made you feel insecure about yourself. You weren’t in any sports teams, you didn’t work and you spent a lot of your free time goofing around with your friends. Compared to her, you didn’t have much going for you. It sounded like Mr. Dobashi really hyped you up earlier.</p><p>Your parents gave you their quick goodbyes so they could head on home. They ended up using your room as a storage space since you were almost never there. As such, they were busy sorting through a lot of extra junk in the house to make it more palatable for a guest. Not too long after they left, you led Mr. Dobashi to the door and didn’t say much of anything when he lingered at the threshold.</p><p>“Thank you again for agreeing to let me stop by. Your grandmother’s house is just as cozy as I remembered it to be.”</p><p>You smiled despite your souring mood. “No problem. Glad it hasn’t changed too much. Part of me wants to update it since I’m living here now, but another part of me feels weird even thinking about it. She lived here for so long and she hasn’t even been gone for a year yet…”</p><p>He shrugged. “Well, she intended for you to live here. It’s just as much your home as it was hers. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind at all.”</p><p>He was right. It was strange how he seemed to know her so well after all these years.</p><p>You made sure he was well out of sight before you retreated back into the four walls you’d come to adore so much. It was a little sad that this place would essentially be left to its own devices in the year you would be gone. Sure, your parents reassured you that they would make sporadic visits just to make sure nothing was disturbed. Kuroo and Kenma would also swing by if they needed a quiet place to study or a parent-free hangout.</p><p>Meeting Oaklynn and her parents just made it that much harder to come to terms with everything. You would be going away in the span of a few months. You put off those feelings for a while since she was more of a concept than a real person. Now you saw glimpses of her life and how you would trade off with her.</p><p>It was a bit of a bummer. Like Minoru told you, this was a huge opportunity, one that wasn’t available to the majority of your friends. You felt guilty for being so quick to reject the idea that you would be able to enjoy yourself. Oaklynn saw this as a fun, new chapter in her life. You saw this as more of a punishment.</p><p>You already knew yourself well enough to predict how things would go. You would be homesick, withdrawn, anxious and standoffish. You would dread every single day away from home and let yourself be miserable. It was a vicious cycle: expecting the worst turned into a self-fulling prophecy. Being proven correct wasn’t even a comfort. If anything, it just transformed into more loathing and disappointment.</p><p>You exited out of Skype altogether. You pulled up the browser with several tabs open for Christmas gift ideas. Kenma’s family was the one who celebrated it every year. They were always exposed to a lot of Western culture because of their job positions, and Kenma fell in line with them.</p><p>He would be having some family stop by, so instead of having a quiet night at his house, there would be a party held at the nearby hotel. You’d been given permission by your parents to stay there for the night since you technically had his parents acting as your guardians. They really didn’t need to know that you and Kuroo had been spending nights with each other in secret. You were sure they had their suspicions, so the stipulation was probably just a formality.</p><p>Poor Kenma, though. He was really dreading have to go to a big event like this. Luckily, you would be there to keep him sane. The two of you had special looks you’d shoot each other when you needed a quick escape. It was something leftover from a childhood filled with mandatory socialization.</p><p>Part of you was dreading this party. Aside from being expected to entertain a ton of people you’d only ever met in passing and having to reintroduce yourself to tons of Kenma’s distant relatives, you were…apprehensive. You’d taken past holidays for granted, thinking that there would always be another one lined up. This time around next year you would still be in America.</p><p>Ugh. Not time to think about this. You had bigger things to worry about. You had to take the plunge and pray your wallet would forgive you as you hit SUBMIT ORDER on your online shopping cart.</p><p>Christmas wasn’t as big of a deal here as it was in the States. Although you did get the holiday off through the New Year, it wasn’t as if every family was rushing out to fight over reasonably priced gifts to place under an evergreen tree.</p><p>It was always a quiet affair in the Kozume household. It included a plethora warm candlelight, hot mugs full of cocoa and the gentle laughter of an intimate present-opening session. It gave you an excuse to shower your two best friends with gifts to show them how much you appreciated their presence in your lives. You enjoyed each other’s company and reflected on another long year together.</p><p>You bought something small for everyone. You wanted to go all out, but your income (or lack thereof) only got you so far. It was actually therapeutic holing up in your room wrapping the presents. Mostly because concentrating on crisp lines and taping down the pleasantly decorated paper stole all of your attention. You could clear your head of all thoughts, positive or negative, and simply lose yourself in the rhythm.</p><p>You would be heading to Kenma’s house to meet up with his family. They would drive you to the hotel. You brought along a bag with a spare change of clothes, personal hygiene products and your gifts. You didn’t need anything else.</p><p>You bundled up in a warm sweatshirt that may or may not have been Kuroo’s at one point. It reminded you of the one from junior high that got you so riled up that time when you first met Aiko. God, how embarrassing was that? You knew even at the time you’d been overreacting.</p><p>You lingered at their front door for just a moment and let yourself in. You knew each other too long to worry about a thing like that. You took off your shoes near the doorway and found that Kenma was huddled up in a huge blanket on his couch. He greeted you as soon as you came in.</p><p>“Mom’s still getting ready,” he explained, eyes shifting toward the hallway. “I think she’s changed her outfit at least three times.”</p><p>You chuckled. “I mean, it is kind of a big deal. It’s like a family reunion of sorts. You doing okay?”</p><p>He nodded. “It’s a big place. It’ll be easy to take a break every once in a while.”</p><p>“Great. I’m nervous.” You exhaled hard.</p><p>He lifted the corner of the blanket as an open invitation. You took it graciously. Abandoning all of your worrisome thoughts, you slipped underneath the blanket and were encompassed in the generous warmth. Oh, this was addictive, alright. You wouldn’t mind staying under here forever, especially with how the wind managed to get to you earlier. “Nip” was not the word you’d use to describe the sharp temperature razing your delicate skin.</p><p>“Ah, I thought I heard someone come in.” Kenma’s father stepped out into the living room, adjusting the buttons on the edge of his sleeves. “You two look comfortable.”</p><p>“I think we’re just going to stay here,” you joked.</p><p>His mother soon followed suit. Both of his parents had always been kind to you. They worried about Kenma when he was growing up and even still to this day. He wasn’t the type of kid who brought home a bunch of friends. They must have fretted that he was lonely at some point in his life. Kenma seemed content with the circle of friends he had which was all that mattered.</p><p>“You look very cute,” his mother complimented you when you finally emerged from the soft cocoon. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you in a dress.”</p><p>“It’s a special occasion…” You stammered, a little embarrassed to be put on the spot like this. “My friends picked it out for me.”</p><p>The door opened up and let in a burst of cold air. Kuroo stepped into the house with a big grin on his face. “Hey, sorry I’m late. I forgot to iron my shirt and my dad wouldn’t let me leave the house without doing it.”</p><p>You tried not to ogle him too much, especially in front of Kenma’s parents. They thought your relationship was great and all, although Kenma’s mom had expressed to you once before that she thought you and Kenma were cute together. That was probably one of the most awkward conversations you’d had with her to date. Even more so because Kenma had been sitting right there – and this was even before you realized you had feelings for Kuroo, so it was just…a mess.</p><p>You didn’t wait very much longer before filing out to the car. Kuroo helped pack the trunk full of different packages that the family intended to hand out. You heard from them that they drew names so everyone would get at least one gift.</p><p>You slipped into the backseat and went for the middle. Kenma got carsick easily and needed the cold air of the window to keep him from getting nauseated. And Kuroo always sat behind the passenger seat; since Kenma’s mom was a lot shorter, she never pushed the seat back enough where his legs had to be drawn up.</p><p>“Do you have enough room? I’m not squishing you, am I?” You frowned and adjusted yourself, struggling to make sure that the seatbelt was secure. Kenma clicked it shut for you.</p><p>“I’m okay. Don’t make yourself uncomfortable trying to cater to me.”</p><p>Kuroo slid in and buckled himself up, his thigh flush against yours. You didn’t even have time to greet him properly before he reached down to entwine his fingers with your own. His hands were chilly from his time spent outside, rough from his frequent practices, yet nothing made you happier than to know that he sought you out so instinctually.</p><p>You and Kenma only halfway listened while Kuroo gave them updates on how things were going at school for him. They were excited to know that he would be there to look after Kenma once he started high school. You were, too. There was a reason why Kenma followed him like a chick to its mother hen; their friendship was so precious that they were essentially family now. Kuroo doted on Kenma like one would a little brother, always looking to guide and keep him from shrinking away into himself. Neither of them had any siblings and being so close in age basically sealed the deal.</p><p>You supposed you were the same way. You always felt like you had to protect Kenma. Not because he was weak, but because you knew firsthand how difficult it was in dealing with anxiety. You were of the same ilk. You never wanted him to feel like he was a throwaway, especially since you and Kuroo started dating. If anything, it made you want to make absolutely sure that Kenma knew you still loved him. You were a trio for a reason. You would always be that way. You were sure of it.</p><p>“I’m gonna help them unpack a bunch of this stuff and take it to the ballroom or whatever. You guys should look around and catch some air before everyone else shows up.” Kuroo shifted the box he’d been holding. You hoped he didn’t catch you ogling the slight shift of his biceps when he did so. Even underneath his collared shirt you knew exactly what it must’ve looked like. “Hey, perv. Eyes are up here.” He grinned at you and you cursed your wandering gaze. “Don’t wander off too far. Y’know how Kenma is with directions.”</p><p>You chuckled. It was true. Kenma had a habit of becoming lost in his own world and then finding himself in unfamiliar territory. He was so used to it that he would just give up and wait for either you or Kuroo to stumble upon him.</p><p>“Here.” Kenma’s mom caught you before you got too far. “These are the room keys. If you could set our bags in the room, I’d appreciate it.”</p><p>“Yup, we can do that.” You gripped the handle of the suitcase and dragged it along, Kenma at your side. “We’ll be back!”</p><p>The room was on the fourth floor. You and Kenma were relieved that no one else boarded the elevator with you and attempted some awkward conversation.</p><p>You had to admit, this place was really nice. Twelve floors, chic décor, polished marble as far as the eye could see. Everything hung on the wall screamed “you don’t know what <em>real</em> art is, sweetie”. You weren’t about to pretend you understood why that geometric art probably cost more than your school tuition.</p><p>After following the posted signs, you wound up at the door. You eyed the handle with disdain. Ah, yes. Card keys at hotels. Your mortal enemy. You weren’t sure what it was about these things, but they always managed to make you look like you had but one brain cell to your name. You held the key in stiff fingers and inched toward the lock like one might do with a cornered animal.</p><p>“Do you want me to do it?”</p><p>You glanced at Kenma sheepishly. “I have to learn on my own. I got this!”</p><p>You did not have this. Five failed attempts later, you relinquished the power to Kenma. He took one shot and managed to unlock the door. You exchanged looks before bursting into laughter, pushing the heavy door open so you could step inside.</p><p>It was a pretty standard room for his parents. He and Kuroo would be sharing one next door. You rolled the luggage into the room and tried to set it down somewhere easily accessible for later.</p><p>Kenma climbed on top of the bed and perched on the edge. His fingers hooked on the collar of his sweater and he gave it a sharp tug. It looked warm but definitely stifling if he was concentrating too hard on the party downstairs. You sank down in the spot next to him and leaned forward to get a good look at his face.</p><p>“We’ll go down together in a little bit. You should try to de-stress in the meantime.”</p><p>“Yeah…” He swallowed and his shoulders slumped. Something else was bothering him aside from the celebration.</p><p>“Are you okay?”</p><p>It took him a minute before he opened his mouth. “I just keep thinking…about how different it’ll be without you here. I know you’ll only be gone a year, and Kuroo will be with me…I don’t want to make you feel worse about it.”</p><p>“You’re not.” You didn’t know what to say to make him feel better. “I’ll miss you a lot. But Kuroo took care of you long before I showed up, right? I’m sure he won’t fail <em>too</em> hard.”</p><p>He chuckled. “I know how hard it is to stay in touch with other people, especially when you move away. You and Kuroo are my best friends.”</p><p>“And you’re ours. We’re practically family at this point, I don’t think something like this is going to get in the way of the bonds we share with each other. Kuroo doesn’t give up easily and you always find ways to watch my back, too. I bet you’ll still be just as involved with me even if we don’t get to see each other physically. And hey, maybe we can find a multiplayer game where we can chat and play at the same time.”</p><p>You encouraged him to face you and drew him into a warm hug. He rested his chin on your shoulder and didn’t say anything else. You squeezed him reassuringly and rubbed the length of his back in comfort. You didn’t want him stressing about this too much, especially on a day where you were supposed to be having fun.</p><p>“We should drop of our stuff and then take a look around the hotel before everyone else gets here. C’mon.”</p><p>You tugged on his hand and led him out of the room so you could get a feel for the amenities. You just knew there had to be a pool or a hot tub. What was it about those things being so much more enticing when you had limited access? You didn’t even want to think about how many nasty bodies had been crammed into those things before they deep-cleaned it.</p><p>You decided to sneak around the reception to dodge any of Kenma’s family. You exited out the side door and cut across the courtyard to get to the other half of the hotel. The sudden change in temperature woke you up and invigorated you, sending a pleasant rush of adrenaline sparking in your veins.</p><p>You stopped and read one of the nearby signs, squinting at the arrows pointing in several directions. “It says there’s a game room. Wanna check it out?”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>“I bet it has something lame like a ping pong table.”</p><p>As your languid pace continued, you became aware of a group of people exiting one of the rooms down the hall. It looked like there was some kind of conference or meeting. You realized you were smack dab in the middle of their way. You tugged Kenma off to a small crevice in the wall so you wouldn’t have to make a thousand apologies for walking against the crowd.</p><p>“Saku! Are you listening to me? I said, don’t <em>run!</em>”</p><p>“But we’re walking too sloooow! I wanna go to the pool!”</p><p>You peeked around the corner to see who was speaking. The little girl complaining was pretty cute. Her hair was twisted into a set of braids that swung with every hop forward she took. Behind her was a woman who must have been her mother, given how exasperated she was when trying to chase after her. The sight of it was heartwarming, if you were going to be honest.</p><p>“Sakura. Stop.”</p><p>That voice…made your blood go cold. Your breathing hitched. You knew that the best thing to do was to walk away, but you couldn’t tear yourself away from the sight. You would recognize that fashionable brunette anywhere.</p><p>Aiko bent down to level with the little girl. There was a gentleness in her gaze. It was familiar, so unlike the vitriolic expressions she used with you the past few times you interacted with each other. You weren’t sure what she said, but the little girl’s chin hit her chest as she spoke an apology to her mother. Aiko took her hand. A little boy ran up to her and she guided both of them down the hall – right for you.</p><p>You whipped around and pressed your back against the wall. You felt like you wanted to pass out. Just seeing her brought back all of those horrible memories of your falling out. The suddenness of her appearance caught you so off guard and you weren’t prepared to interact with her outside of school. You barely saw each other as it was. Yet here you were, in a place you thought was well-removed from the drama of your broken friendship, and you had nowhere to run or hide.</p><p>Kenma didn’t have to say anything. He didn’t even know what triggered your sudden anxiety, but he didn’t need to. He simply turned you around so that you faced him. He kept your eyes on him. You could hear the group get closer and squeezed his hands, which were encased in yours. He blinked slowly at you and you found yourself mirroring his actions. He sucked in a deep breath, counted to three, then exhaled, encouraging you to do the same.</p><p>The cold sweat along your neck and hairline faded as the voices grew quieter. Aiko was gone, as was whoever she was with. You assumed it was her mom. You’d never actually met her given how busy she was, since Aiko told you she worked at a hospital. You could feel your arms tremble and dizziness blossomed in your brain, fighting against the distant static that took root there.</p><p>“Let’s find a vending machine.” Kenma encouraged you to follow him. You’d taken the lead earlier and now you could focus on his back. He made a beeline for the end of the hall where a lone machine sat, its colorful artwork and bright lights a beacon in the otherwise dim and serious atmosphere.</p><p>He shoved some yen in and managed to grab a warm can of lemon tea. You were thankful this place had a range of options and that he didn’t pick the can of soup that was advertised on the outside. You didn’t think you could stomach any food right now. He also grabbed a snack and ushered you over to the nearby lounge area so you could take a second to breathe.</p><p>“Sorry,” you mumbled, “I have no idea what that was.”</p><p>“You don’t have to apologize. It’s okay.” He lifted his head and craned his neck to glance back at the doorway.</p><p>“Are you looking for Tetsurou?” You laughed weakly. “You’re doing fine, Kenma, I promise. I’m glad you’re with me. You get this kind of thing…he doesn’t really understand. I mean…I know he has his own issues with anxiety but he’s so much more confident now and…well…”</p><p>You remembered hearing from Kenma that Kuroo used to be as withdrawn and socially awkward as he was. Volleyball helped him blossom. It gave him much-needed confidence. He knew what it was like to be fearful and scared. You didn’t doubt that at all. And sure, Kuroo had his moments of weakness where he felt helpless, even if he didn’t show it as much. Kenma, though, he still struggled with it, so he was more relatable that way.</p><p>“She seems like she’s doing okay, all things considered. Maybe we were just toxic for each other after all.” You could feel that it was getting harder to speak up. “I don’t know if the headmaster ever told her about what I would have to do in order for her to stay in school. I don’t know if she feels grateful or if it’s just another reason for her to hate me. I talked a big game earlier, but the truth is, this fucking sucks! Maybe it’s selfish of me to say so, but I wish I hadn’t just caved and given the headmaster the okay to send me across the world for something I didn’t even start. I shouldn’t be the one feeling scared or awkward seeing her, but I just get reminded of all the good times we had, and how much it hurts not to have her around anymore despite everything she did to hurt me.”</p><p>Kenma listened intently. He let you finish your rant. You choked down a sob and blinked your eyes rapidly before they could betray you with a fresh round of tears.</p><p>“This year is ending in less than a week and all I can think about is that it’s just that much closer to me taking off and leaving you guys behind. She gets to stay here with her friends, her family, she gets to stay in the school I worked hard to get into. I know she has her own stuff going on, but it’s not fair and I don’t want to go. God, I sound like such a baby right now…”</p><p>“You’re not.” He shot you a brief smile. “You have a right to be upset. You don’t have to be strong all of the time, you know.”</p><p>Your chest ached at his words. “I know, but I feel like…if I cry or show I’m upset, then you guys take it even harder than I do. I don’t want to make it worse.”</p><p>“You know that friendship goes both ways.” He forced you to maintain eye contact with him so you could see how resolute he was in his words. “You protected us for a long time because you didn’t want to make us sad. But now it’s our turn to help you through this.”</p><p>He was right. You always kept things like this to yourself because you didn’t want to show any weakness. You wanted to be tough and reliable. You had this vision in your head that you were the friend who other people came to for help. Taking care of other people was so much easier than showing yourself that same kindness. It was doing Kenma, Kuroo and all of your other loved ones a disservice by hiding your true feelings.</p><p>“I finally found you guys!” you heard from the doorway. Kuroo ducked inside with an annoyed huff. “Y’know, if you wanted a secret tryst, you could’ve just…told me…” He realized that the sheen across your eyes was from sadness and not mirth. “Hey, what’s goin’ on? You okay?”</p><p>Kenma backed off a little bit, but you reached for his hand to anchor him in place.</p><p>“No,” you told him honestly, a little uncomfortable at not hiding your true feelings. “I’m having a meltdown and Kenma is trying to get me to settle down.”</p><p>“What happened?”</p><p>Kuroo sat on the opposite side of you. You sighed. “It’s not a big deal…well…okay, it was. I saw Aiko earlier and I freaked out. A lot of stuff came at me at once, and I…I told Kenma that even though I know it’s the right thing to do, I want to back out of this deal.”</p><p>“And you’d be okay with that?” Kuroo challenged, leaning back in the chair. “You wouldn’t beat yourself up over it?”</p><p>You all knew the answer to that. “I’m not going to. I just wish I could.”</p><p>“Yeah, we all do.” He sighed. “If we had our way, she’d be suspended for a while and you wouldn’t be punished at all. This whole thing is a mess. But you have to be up front about how you really feel.”</p><p>“I know…Kenma just told me the same thing. I want to be strong and not complain about it all the time like a broken record. I don’t wanna be a downer and like, ruin a day like this – Christmas of all things! – stressing out about something that’s still far away. I want to spend time with you guys without this trip hanging over me like this. It’s stupid.”</p><p>Kuroo considered your words for a moment before he stood up. He extended a hand out to you. “If that’s true, then let’s go. There’s a party down the hall we’re already more than fashionably late for. You don’t have to pretend everything’s okay. We’d worry about you more if you did. But if we’ve got limited time, then we’re gonna make sure that you’re distracted enough with a bunch of fun that you don’t even have time to think about it.”</p><p>It pained you to tell him that he was right, only because it brought back that smug smile that you loved so much. You placed your hand in his and he pulled you out of the chair. Kenma followed.</p><p>“Sorry dude, I tried to sort of scope the room out and give an update on your life beforehand so people wouldn’t drill you about it. But I’m pretty sure they’ll ask you anyway.”</p><p>Following them to the ballroom felt a little dreamlike. The two of them talked you down and any negative feelings from earlier were tucked away somewhere you couldn’t reach. You found yourself standing at the entrance, already aware of the excited conversations inside.</p><p>“Shit, I should’ve went to the bathroom first.” You reached up and let your fingers hover over your eyes. “Is my makeup okay?”</p><p>“Forgot to tell you, everything’s smeared and you look like you got left at the altar on your wedding day,” Kuroo joked.</p><p>You narrowed your eyes at him. “As if I’d let that happen. I’d dump that dude way before he ever managed to embarrass me like that.”</p><p>“Wait, who’s this random dude in this situation?” Kuroo frowned, not liking the way you turned the tables. “Why isn’t it <em>us</em> getting married?”</p><p>“I don’t know, why are <em>you</em> the one standing me up?!”</p><p>Kenma looked at you both and just started laughing. It was refreshing to see. He clutched his stomach and nearly doubled over. You had to admit, your double act always seemed to take the edge off. You grinned at him in response and Kuroo still looked genuinely miffed at your imaginary scenario where someone else swept you up.</p><p>“So I actually look fine and you’re just being an ass?”</p><p>Kuroo scoffed. “You <em>always</em> look fine.”</p><p>“Horrible.” You tried to scowl and found you couldn’t. Not with the way he kept your hand firmly within his as all of you passed through the doors.</p><p>A giant tree was smack dab in the center of the room, adorned with various shades of tinsel, ornaments and lights. It was impressive. You wondered how many people it took to decorate given its staggering height. At the very top was a silver star nestled on the branch like it belonged there. Already there were a number of wrapped gifts tucked along the tree skirt, just waiting to be torn apart by eager partygoers.</p><p>“They sure went all out…” Kenma murmured. “I guess I should start making the rounds.”</p><p>He didn’t even need to take a step forward. His sudden appearance drew a few relatives who had been anticipating his arrival. They marched over and greeted him with enthusiasm.</p><p>You and Kuroo stood off to the side. You just watched over Kenma to make sure he was doing okay.</p><p>You spotted your parents chatting with Kenma’s mom and dad, probably about how transition to high school since that was the hot topic earlier. You felt a little bad. Kuroo’s dad had to work and his grandparents were adamant in not wanting to make the trip or spend their night with a bunch of people they didn’t know. You wished they had showed up to at least support Kuroo. You supposed it was a blessing in disguise. Kuroo’s dad was intimidating even after all these years. You still couldn’t tell some days whether he liked you or not.</p><p>You heard your name being called and turned, just in time for you to be smothered in a pair of ample breasts. Oh, no.</p><p>“It’s so good to see you!” Kenma’s aunt exclaimed. She pulled back and ignored the flustered look on your face. You had never wanted to get that well-acquainted with her girls. Ever. “You look like you’ve lost some weight!”</p><p>You screamed internally. Not this again. You should’ve been equipped to handle stuff like this with how often it came up in conversation, but it still left you at a loss for words. “Uh…I don’t think so, but thanks…”</p><p>She giggled. “Kenma! I can’t believe you haven’t cut your hair yet.” She wormed her fingers into his bangs and pushed them back, leaving his forehead exposed to the entire room. You could see him start to fidget at the realization that there were far more people hidden in his blind spot. “Only girls wear their hair long.”</p><p>“I like it this way,” he mumbled, swatting her hand away.</p><p>“Well, how are you supposed to get a girlfriend if you hide your handsome face like that?” She turned her attention to you. “Tell him! He probably could’ve dated you if he shaped up a little bit, isn’t that right, sweetie? Instead she’s with that friend of yours, of all people!”</p><p>“Hey!” Kuroo exclaimed, butting into the conversation. He was a brave soul. “Merry Christmas, auntie! How’s life been in Honolulu?”</p><p>“Just fine.” Her attitude did a complete one-eighty. “Why are you here? Family all ditch you again?”</p><p>You flinched at her outright dig. Kuroo didn’t seem to care. “Yup. Good thing Kenma’s always looking out for me. He keeps me entertained.” He crossed his arms and leaned forward to invade more of her personal space. “Glad you could make it here. I heard that there’s this new real estate agent all the celebrities are using nowadays. What was her name…oh!” He snapped his fingers. “Jasmine Flores, right? I saw her interview in a magazine the other day. She must be picking up a lot of your clients. I’m sure flying economy must’ve been a big change for you considering what you’re used to.”</p><p>She looked like she wanted to tear him to shreds. You snagged his arm before she could make a move and thanked her for coming. You had to keep yourself composed as you approached the long buffet table filled with hors d’oeuvres, entrees and desserts all together.</p><p>“Are you trying to die?” You laughed so hard you snorted, earning a silly grin from Kuroo in response. “I think you’ve been blacklisted forever.”</p><p>“Well, the good news is she’ll avoid us for the rest of the night. The bad news is I’m pretty sure with her connections we’d never be able to move to Hawaii even if we wanted to.”</p><p>You grabbed some food and sat down to eat. You were amused in watching a bunch of couples on the dance floor. How did you even get down to Christmas music? Well, you were about to find out. Kenma’s family was so goofy, in a good way, of course. It was interesting to know that he was one of the few introverts in the room despite all of them being related.</p><p>You all had fun watching other people in the room. Bellies full, appetite sated, pleasantly drinking in the joyous atmosphere. You were in the middle of seeing an older woman get asked to dance by her younger relative when you felt something drop on the crown of your head.</p><p>“What?” You reached up and fingered the material, noting the way it spread out in different directions. “Are these…reindeer ears?”</p><p>“Antlers,” Kuroo snickered.</p><p>“Shut up! You know what I meant.” You adjusted the headband, not even sparing him a glance. “And don’t talk to me peasant, I’m Santa Claus’ most valuable asset. He wouldn’t be able to deliver all these presents without my help.”</p><p>He leaned forward and stretched his arms out across the table. His head was nestled between them and he had that shit-eating grin on his face. “And <em>you</em> can’t talk to me like that. I’m Santa Claus.”</p><p>“What?!” You spotted the festive hat and groaned. He was right. Whoever swung by and gave you the little tokens of holiday cheer just <em>had</em> to give him that. You reached forward and pressed the pad of your index finger against his unsuspecting nose. “Guess this means we’ll have to keep our distance.”</p><p>“Oh yeah?” he mused. “Why’s that?”</p><p>You thumbed over to the old lady from before, who had on a matching hat. “Mrs. Claus is going to get jealous.”</p><p>While Kuroo laughed like it was the funniest shit he’d ever heard, you realized that Kenma had the same thing on that you did. You clasped his hand dramatically.</p><p>“We’re comrades now, Kenma. We have the weight of the world on our shoulders. But don’t worry. I’ve got your back!”</p><p>Kuroo was right. A lot of your stresses and worries melted away the more you were immersed in something like this. Being together with them in such a cozy atmosphere did wonders for your anxiety. You didn’t have the chance to ruminate on Aiko’s presence. You were too busy nibbling at snacks, being introduced and re-introduced to various relatives, and you even got roped into a dance with one of the elderly guys who wouldn’t take no for an answer. It didn’t help that Kuroo pretty much gave you away as revenge for refusing a kiss from him in public.</p><p>The gift-giving was pretty chaotic. There was no rhyme or reason to it. Everyone dove for the presents as soon as they were given the opportunity. All of you waited until the swarm died down before going up and grabbing your own packages. You stole off to a quiet corner so you could open them up in peace.</p><p>“This is kinda heavy.” You placed the gift gingerly in your lap. “You guys didn’t buy me anything super expensive, did you?”</p><p>“Nah, that’s just coal.” Kuroo didn’t even miss a beat. “What? You and I both know that this year you were nau—”</p><p>“Don’t. Even. Start.” You tugged the white trimming of his hat and pulled it down over his watchful eyes. “You are so cheesy it’s insane.”</p><p>You peeled away the wrapping paper and ran your fingers along the cardboard underneath. Kuroo always complained you took too long to unwrap your gifts. You lifted the top of the box up and peeked inside, your face draining of color when you realized what it was.</p><p>“Whoa…” You didn’t even know what to say. “Is this a new laptop?”</p><p>“Yep.” Kuroo said it like it was nothing. “It’s from all of us. We didn’t want you bringing that hunk of junk with you to America and getting made fun of. And it has the built-in webcam so you don’t need to buy one for the laptop you already have. You like it?”</p><p>You were so floored with their generosity. “Yes…of course, I love it.” You hugged it to your chest, overwhelmed at the gesture. “So I can video chat with you guys whenever I want. It’s gonna be so nice not having to worry about whether it’ll crash in the middle of my homework and stuff.”</p><p>“It’s powerful enough to run a couple of games we can play together, too.” Kenma smiled gently at you. “I can show you how to get it set up later.”</p><p>“Well, now I feel dumb, because my gifts are nowhere near as thoughtful. Or expensive.” You pouted. “Thanks, you guys. I’ll have to let your parents know too, Kenma. It means a lot that everyone did this for me.”</p><p>Kenma’s gift was a figurine you’d saved up for. He’d mentioned earlier in the month that he was going to hold off on buying it because he had another one in mind. You were so relieved to see the utter joy cross his face as he stared down at the box in mint condition.</p><p>Kuroo, on the other hand, got new equipment for volleyball. Shoes, socks, shorts, t-shirts for practice. You tucked in a couple of sweatshirts – as an apology for stealing his and stripping his closet. The two of you already discussed that you had sole custody of the ones you already owned. Plus, you told him that he was going to wear those sweatshirts for at least a couple of weeks before handing it off to you. That way when you were overseas, you would still be comforted by his scent. Yukie said it was weird, but you didn’t care in the slightest.</p><p>People filed out one by one. It was late. Normally you wouldn’t have lasted this long at a party filled with strangers. It must’ve been the good food and company that lessened your discomfort. You could see Kenma saying his goodbyes to everyone who left. His aunt, who Kuroo royally pissed off earlier, seemed to be in a much better mood. She waved at you and ignored Kuroo, much to your amusement.</p><p>You stood up and felt weary. It’d been a long day. Kenma was just about to crash out. He already dozed off at least once on your shoulder before being jerked awake by someone coming by to strike up a conversation.</p><p>“Let’s get out of here,” Kuroo yawned. “I’ve got our room keys.”</p><p>There was still a fair amount of people inside as you made your escape. The elevator ride felt like it took twice as long this time around. You stared at the button as it lit up and tried not to focus too much on the brief moment of weightlessness as it jerked upwards.</p><p>Kuroo and Kenma would be sharing a room. Yours was right next door and connected with a set of double doors that were usually locked. But you already explained to the staff that you all knew each other, so they were happy to open it up for you.</p><p>You trudged toward the bed and faceplanted into it. Kenma went to the bathroom to clean up before changing into his pajamas. Kuroo took a set of spare clothes and went to yours so he could at least let the warm water ease the tension.</p><p>“You sure you don’t wanna come in?” he called from inside the shower. “There’s lots of room.”</p><p>“Don’t be weird,” you called back. You weren’t sure if he heard you over the thundering water. You didn’t care to raise your voice. He was just being silly and you both knew it. If you did strip down and walk into that stall, he probably would’ve slipped, hit his head and gotten a concussion.</p><p>You went to the balcony doors instead, gently prying them open so you could step outside. You wanted a last look at the skyline before heading off to start your own nighttime routine. The lights below reminded you of the ones wrapped so carefully around the tree downstairs. They exuded a warmth that put your mind at ease. Hundreds and thousands of people were around you and tucked away in their homes. Knowing that your struggles and worries were pretty minimal in the grand scheme of things did put it into perspective.</p><p>You heard Kuroo’s footsteps and he was disappointed that you didn’t jump or give him a reaction when he slipped his arms around your waist from behind. They settled on your belly. The residual heat from his scorching shower felt nice. His muscles were barely contained underneath that thin t-shirt, his body shifting so he could press you more firmly into the railing.</p><p>“You gonna shower?”</p><p>“No, just gonna wash my face and then crash out.” Your hands trailed up to his and you ran your fingers over his, relishing the roughness of his skin in contrast to yours. “I had fun today.”</p><p>“You better have. We pulled out all the stops. D’you know how much I had to pay that old man so he’d ask you out?” He chuckled and planted a soft kiss on the crook of your neck. “Sorry you had to see you-know-who today.”</p><p>“It’s whatever.” You paused. “No, it was really shitty. But you guys definitely took my mind off it. It’s not a real Christmas unless someone has a meltdown and makes everyone super uncomfortable.”</p><p>“That’s the power of true Christmas spirit.” He snickered and dropped his chin down onto your shoulder so you could look at the view together. “You bought gifts for everyone else, didn’t you?”</p><p>You knew he was going to figure it out. “Well, I felt bad that our other friends weren’t invited, so…yeah. Nothing as cool as what I got you guys, though. Promise you’re still my favorites.”</p><p>“Oh, I can’t wait to tell Yakkun that.”</p><p>“Don’t,” you warned, though your tone was playful at best.</p><p>He released you. You turned around so you were face-to-face. You reached up and placed a hand on his cheek so he would come even closer. Your lips met without much negotiation on your part. He was always ready to share something like this with you. Aside from the faint taste of peppermint from his toothpaste, the kiss was much of the same as all of the previous ones. Sweet. Warm. Comforting.</p><p>“By the way,” you told him between short, pointed smooches, “you totally missed your opportunity to play the most cliché trick in the book.”</p><p>“Hmm?” He sounded like he was barely listening. Making out with him taught you that he was in his own little world sometimes when you were together like this. Your lips zapped him of any ability to concentrate. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“I <em>mean</em>…” You smacked your lips loudly on purpose just for the edges of his lips to curl upwards. “You could’ve put the mistletoe out here. Or even in the doorway that leads out to the hall.”</p><p>“Ah, damn it. I knew I was forgetting something.” You couldn’t tell if he was serious, but it didn’t even matter at this point. He rested his forehead on yours and drank in the sight of you. You always got so embarrassed when he did this. You had an idea of how deep his affection for you ran. It was still baffling as to why, though.</p><p>You swiped your thumb over his bottom lip, smearing away the lingering shine of your shared saliva. “Not like you needed it anyway. I don’t need a little plant to tell me to kiss you.”</p><p>You stepped backwards through the door and immersed yourself into the darkness of the room. From here you could see the moonlight swim across his face. He really was beautiful, ethereal almost. His eyes sharpened as he followed you in, the smirk causing an involuntary shudder down your back. The shadows swallowed him up just moment before he found you.</p><p>All plans of cleaning yourself up forgotten, you let him lower you onto the bed, his kisses peppering every inch of your skin while you sank into the mattress. You threaded your fingers through his hair and whispered that you loved him. His stammered response and subsequent blush were more than enough for you.</p><p>The two of you curled up against one another and succumbed to the dreamless sleep that you’d been putting off for so long.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You know what? I was thinking about this earlier. I was trying to make this fic "realistic" in that Reader's relationship with the guys was primarily platonic. But if Kiyoko Shimizu can have the entire cast of Haikyuu lusting after her, then so can you. This is an indulgent fic for fat gals anyways. </p><p>So guess what? Everyone's a little in love with you. Congrats. You have a reverse harem at your disposal. Just say the word and these simps will be knocking down your door, as well as they should, because you are gorgeous, funny and smart as hell. That's a fact, Jack.</p><p>P.S. I picked Oaklynn so that that (hopefully) none of you guys share her name. Nothing's weirder than seeing your name given to a side character/OC when it's supposed to be a reader-insert. <strike>It is a real name and I don't know why. I...I'm sorry, but no.</strike></p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Resolution</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The year has finally come to a close.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry I'm a little late with this update! I'm not going to pretend I have a good excuse. I spent the majority of my weekend playing ES: Oblivion and watching my girlfriend rage over Among Us.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Although Christmas felt like a lifetime away, it was hard to believe it had only been a few days ago. You spent the majority of your winter break curled up on the couch and catching up on afternoon naps. A few times Kuroo and Bokuto invited you out so you could watch them practice. The two of them had actually been hanging out a little more and learning from each other. It was a relief knowing that they were getting along, especially since Kuroo was so wary of him when they first met.</p><p>New Year’s was always spent with your family. Kuroo and Kenma’s family didn’t do anything special and you ended up inviting them to spend it with you one year. That was when the tradition started. You managed to avoid any conflict with Yaku since he ended up traveling out of town to visit relatives. It was a relief since he and Kuroo had some kind of weird rivalry when you were younger.</p><p>You roused from sleep in your old bed and stretched across the mattress. Glancing around at the various posters and trinkets around the room gave you flashbacks to the life you led before you moved to your grandmother’s house. You’d taken a lot of personal items with you, but the ones you didn’t deem as important remained. It was a little strange to think that in a few months Oaklynn would be making herself at home in this very room. Maybe she would find you childish or annoying based on the décor.</p><p>“Are you up yet?” your mother called from outside the door. “It’s almost lunchtime!”</p><p>“Yes,” you groaned, tossing a pillow over your head. You stayed up ridiculously late last night on purpose. Nothing was lamer than being so sleepy during the dawn of the new year that you couldn’t even properly celebrate it.</p><p>“Hurry up. Kuroo and Kenma will be here soon.”</p><p>It wasn’t as if either of them hadn’t seen you in this state of dress. Kuroo in particular had a lot of experience drinking in your disheveled appearance, bedhead and ratty t-shirt/shorts combo and all. Kenma didn’t care much about how you looked either. You both knew that comfort triumphed aesthetic any day.</p><p>You guessed you dozed off again despite your mother’s warning, because you knew you heard distant voices coming from the kitchen. you didn’t pay them much mind since it was so muffled enough by the thick walls that it sounded distorted. Your drowsy brain didn’t pick up on your name or any other important information that would’ve caused you to snap to attention.</p><p>The door slammed open with a hard thud against the wall. You squished the pillow farther against the back of your head in an attempt to ignore the source of the noise. No such luck. With as much energy as one would expect from a teenaged volleyball player, Kuroo launched himself full force onto your bed and straddled you with his fingers already digging into your sides.</p><p>“Wake up! Things to do, people to see!”</p><p>“Giddoff meh…” you mumbled underneath the heavy blanket, thankful that the thickness saved you from the majority of his persistent attack. “Staaaph.”</p><p>He chuckled and leaned back so he shifted the majority of his weight onto his haunches instead. “Look, it’s almost an entirely new year and you’ve already managed to wrangle me into your bed.”</p><p>Still buried within your safe haven, you searched for a nearby plushie and swung it behind you haphazardly. You were a little luckier today because the end of it connected with his face in a soft smack. Kuroo grunted and lost his balance, toppling backwards until he fell off the edge of the bed.</p><p>You laughed at his indignant squawk. You loved getting one over on him. You peeled away the first layer of blankets you'd encased yourself in and exposed your body to the crisp air of your bedroom. Ugh. It wasn’t too bad outside, but the house was still freezing. Even with your feet adorned in the most obnoxiously adorable fuzzy socks you could find, you were still searching for any additional warmth that would save you from shivering.</p><p>“What happened?” Your mom poked her head in the open doorway. “Oh, Tetsurou. Are you alright?”</p><p>“I’m paralyzed,” he mourned, spread-eagle on the ground. “I can never play volleyball again. I guess I’ll just have to live my life at her side in a wheelchair, supporting her as she chases after her dreams…”</p><p>You threw a spare pillow down at his face and your mom chuckled. “You two are too much sometimes. Don’t you ever get tired of her?”</p><p>“Nope.” He sat up and ran his fingers through his hair with a sly grin. “I’m not going anywhere unless she somehow finds someone cooler than me.”</p><p>“Won’t be too hard, then,” you quipped. Kuroo clutched his chest in mock offense. “And Mom, I’m pretty offended that you’re implying I’m the one getting the better end of the deal. You don’t know what he’s like behind closed doors.”</p><p>Your mom scoffed and turned heel, but not before throwing a final dig at you over her shoulder. “Anyone who handles your brattiness and bad mouth is guaranteed to be crazy.”</p><p>“Wowww!” You flopped onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Your mouth curled into a grin despite your mom’s words. She was being playful, after all.</p><p>Kuroo rose up from the ground and tiptoed over to the side of the bed you were closest to. He bent down and placed a light kiss on the curve of your brow, earning a half-hearted huff of annoyance from you.</p><p>“Your morning breath really stinks,” he smirked. “You should probably get up before the whole house smells it.”</p><p>“You dick.” You swatted his hand away when he offered to help you out of bed. “Just for that, Kenma is getting my New Year’s kiss.”</p><p>“I’ll believe it when I see it.”</p><p>You managed to trudge to the bathroom to get ready. If you expected to get any privacy, you would be dead wrong. Kuroo followed you inside and rifled through the makeup bag on the counter so he could sneakily suggest which shade of lipstick he wanted you to wear later. While brushing your teeth and washing your face, he made it a point to flick water at you and throw the hand towel over your head for good measure.</p><p>He was being extra mischievous today. Not that you minded. Kuroo was the type of guy to act cool and collected in public. In private he was a huge dork. That was part of the reason why you loved him so much - he had all of these facets to him that not everyone saw or necessarily appreciated.</p><p>You stumbled out to the living room, opting to stay in your pajamas. Your mom, dad and Kenma were already at the table with plates full of food. You grabbed the chopsticks and mumbled a good morning and ‘thanks for the meal’ before diving down to fill your belly.</p><p>“Any plans for today?” Your dad asked across the table. “There’s plenty of time before we go to the shrine. You guys could take a walk around the shopping plaza or something.”</p><p>You shrugged. “Dunno. I’m good with staying here and watching TV.”</p><p>“Well, Kenma already agreed to do a puzzle with us later,” your mom butted in. “We need one more person to help because your father and I can’t do it alone, and <em>you</em> refuse to help.”</p><p>“That’s because you guys end up arguing about where the pieces go and I’m good without that stress in my life.” You shoveled more rice in your mouth and ignored the offended look on her face. “It’s true. Besides, you say that looking at the picture is cheating so it takes us twice as long.”</p><p>You turned towards the TV and were soon sucked into all sorts of interesting shows. New Year’s was a big day for lounging around the house and as such, there was always something fun on. You were so engrossed in it that you didn’t notice your mom had snatched your plate to clean up.</p><p>“You wanna go out or stay in?” Kuroo meandered over to the couch and threw himself down, always ready to make himself at home. “We could go see a movie.”</p><p>That did sound like fun. As much as you loved your family, Iyou were <em>not</em> interested in hearing their inevitable squabbling about the puzzle. Kenma never seemed to mind it much. If anything, he was a great mediator. They always managed to keep a lid on it better when he was around. If you played with them, there was no doubt in your mind that the two of them would be fine with taking digs at each other. Kenma made them behave.</p><p>“Yeah, that sounds like fun.” You realized that he tricked you into having to get dressed. “I’ll get changed and we can head out.”</p><p>As much as you wanted to throw a hoodie on and walk out the door, it was a date. You knew Kuroo didn’t care what you wore. But dressing up did make it feel more like you were boyfriend and girlfriend rather than just a couple of good friends hanging out.</p><p>You opted for a cowl sweater. You usually didn’t like wearing form-fitting clothing because it tended to emphasize the part of you that you were most self-conscious about. You knew for a fact that Kuroo liked the way it looked, though, because you’d seen him follow you with his eyes whenever you wore it. It was long enough that without any leggings underneath it ended just below your backside. You chose some heeled boots to further accentuate those curves.</p><p>“We’ll be back later,” you called out to your family. They didn’t respond. It looked like they were already deep in thought with the pieces scattered across the table.</p><p>Kuroo pulled your coat from the closet and offered it to you. You snickered at the gesture but still spread your arms out so he could drape it just right.</p><p>“Why are you laughing?” he mused, tugging your hand to pull you outside. “I’m a real gentleman, you know.”</p><p>“Oh, totally.” You snorted. “You’re so chivalrous. Definitely didn’t do that so you could stand behind me and ogle my butt.”</p><p>“What can I say? It’s a work of art.”</p><p>With the door shut behind you, you strolled down the path to the sidewalk together. Winter made the atmosphere so gloomy. It didn’t help that it was overcast and there was no familiar, weak warmth of the sunlight to cut through the otherwise frigid temperature outside.</p><p>You snuggled further into your puffed coat. It was a gift that Minoru had given you for Christmas. How he knew your size, you had no idea. Part of you suspected that Yukie and Kaori gave him advice since you went shopping and they knew what sizes you snagged off the rack. Still, it was cute and it fit you, so that was all that mattered.</p><p>“Any idea on what you wanted to watch, or did you just use the movies as an excuse to get me alone?”</p><p>Kuroo shot you a smirk. “You know me too well.”</p><p>“Well, now I <em>do</em> want to watch a movie. It’s been a while.”</p><p>It was nice being alone with him. For the most part you had been bombarded with all sorts of obligations. You loved your friends family, but time was running out. You and Kuroo wanted to make use of every spare moment you had together. Not that you wouldn’t miss your other loved ones, of course.</p><p>Most people were at home or hitting the grocery stores for food to cook later, which meant that the movie theater was pretty deserted. You were grateful for that. Less people meant more of a chance for the two of you to be able to chat with each other and make fun of the movie.</p><p>“Please don’t pick a martial arts movie,” Kuroo complained as you stood in line together. “Minoru basically recited the entire script by memory for that Bruce Lee flick we watched at your house and it’s still burned into my brain.”</p><p>You laughed. That was a pretty great night. Minoru thought it was important to enact the scenes as they played on the screen. You had to admit, he did memorize the routine pretty well. Bokuto even volunteered to act as the bad guy, maniacal laughter included. They ended their faux battle by knocking over the couch and causing a noise complaint that sent a police officer over. You’d never seen Minoru so mortified in his life.</p><p>“Horror?” you suggested.</p><p>“Why, you wanna cling to me?”</p><p>You huffed. “Yeah, right. We’ll see about that.”</p><p>Challenge accepted, Kuroo. You purchased a couple of tickets and filed into the theater together. It was nearly empty when you stepped out into the lobby. You were relieved.</p><p>Kuroo made a beeline for the concession stand. For a guy who looked so lean and toned, he sure had a weak spot for snacking during movies. The fact that it was horribly overpriced didn’t even deter him. He already had his favorites picked out and you knew them all by heart.</p><p>You gazed at the menu as he spoke to the female cashier. He was so busy rattling off his order that he didn’t notice the starstruck look on her face. She looked to be your age, maybe a little older, and you felt your stomach clench in discomfort when she put on that flirtatious aura.</p><p>“You’re super tall. Do you play sports?”</p><p>“Yeah, volleyball. You?”</p><p>“I’m in gymnastics.” She put her hand on her chin and leaned forward on the counter, long lashes batting ever-so slightly. “My shifts are usually on the weekends. Maybe you could pick me up after work one of these days and I’ll show you my routine.”</p><p>Puke. You grabbed the drink on the counter and walked off before you could hear Kuroo’s response. Maybe he didn’t even understand she was blatantly hitting on him and was just being polite. It didn’t curb your jealousy, though.</p><p>Strangers didn’t even think the two of you were a couple because of how different you were. You were used to that. What you weren’t used to was random girls salivating over your own boyfriend. It happened at your school and it happened out in public. You'd heard Kaori and Yukie giggling to themselves sometimes about it, too. It was easy to see why he would be popular, though it still didn’t make it any easier.</p><p>You stumbled into the dimly lit room and were relieved to see it was empty. You hoped no one would show up at all. You maneuvered your way to the steps by the guided lights lining the floors to sit in the top row smack dab in the middle. You tugged your phone out of your pocket and checked through your notifications.</p><p>“Hey, you totally ditched me,” Kuroo chuckled, brushing past your drawn-up legs so he could squeeze in the seat next to you. “You just didn’t wanna carry anything, huh? Lucky for you I’ve got the hand-eye coordination of a professional.” Almost in response, he nearly dropped the bag of popcorn all of the floor, swearing as he balanced it in the crook of his elbow.</p><p>You lifted it up so he wouldn’t cause a mess and he shot you a sheepish grin. He sank down into the chair and reached for the armrest to put it up. Your arm was already there.</p><p>“Mind if I push it back?”</p><p>You didn’t answer him at first. “Yeah, I do mind. It’s comfortable this way.”</p><p>He let out a weary sigh. “So…you gonna throw a tantrum or do you wanna talk about why you’re giving me the cold shoulder?”</p><p>“Seriously?” He couldn’t have been this dense. “I left because the cashier was about to drool all over the counter. I know you like the attention because it boosts your ego, but I didn’t want to hear it.”</p><p>Your words dampened the mood instantly. Part of you wished you could just keep your negativity to yourself. You came out here to have fun and here you were, ruining it with your insecurity and pettiness. Kuroo sighed and tossed his head back so he could gaze at the faint glow of the projector overhead.</p><p>“I wasn’t flirting.”</p><p>“Well, she definitely was,” you shot back. “I don’t wanna stick around and hear that kinda stuff. How would you feel if it happened to me? Not that you’d have to worry, no guy would ever make a move on me in public like that.”</p><p>“I can’t tell if you’re pissed at me, her, or if it’s something else.” He tossed a handful of popcorn into his mouth and chewed for a moment, thoughtful, before swallowing it down. “Besides, you’re wrong. I’ve seen the looks guys give you sometimes. It sucks, but you don’t see me taking it out on you.”</p><p>Now he was getting on your nerves. “Yeah, okay. Like I’d believe that. No guy has ever done that kind of thing to me in public. And Daishou doesn’t count, because he only used me to make you pissed off and lose your composure during the game. I don’t get hit on like you do, okay? So yeah, it makes me uncomfortable when you have girls all over you and I have to just sit there and pretend it doesn’t bother me.”</p><p>You clenched your hands into fists, placing them on top of your lap. “It sucks, you know? When the guy you’re dating is so popular and handsome, you have to be on guard all of the time, it feels like. There are lots of other girls who would kill to be in my position. If they can act like that when I’m standing right there, then who knows how pushy they’ll be when I’m gone? You’re going to have all of these cute girls hitting on you while I’m away and maybe one day you’ll realize that they’re a lot more fun to hang around than some super insecure, clingy girl who’s got next to nothing in common with you in the first place. I’m not in any sports and I don’t have to worry about practices and tournaments, I don’t know the kind of stress or competitiveness you go through. You’re probably better suited to someone who can talk about that with you, especially since it’s such a big part of your life.”</p><p>Kuroo sucked at his drink noisily, as if he was trying to annoy you on purpose. “So does that mean I’m not right for you? Since I’m not into writing and stuff.”</p><p>You narrowed your eyes at him. He probably couldn’t see it since it was so dark in here. “That’s different. That’s a hobby for me. It’s not like my whole life revolves around writing. Volleyball has been a huge part of your life and it always will be.”</p><p>“I’m just saying…not every couple needs to eat, drink and breathe the same thing. We’ve got different passions. But we also have a lot of other stuff in common. I don’t think this is about our chemistry, anyway, I think you’re putting yourself down in a really weird way. I didn’t take that girl up on her offer and I never would. Not my type.”</p><p>You sighed. “Tetsurou…I know we said that the two of us weren’t going to break up, but I want to be clear: if you can’t wait, or if you find someone else, then…that’s your decision. It’s shitty of me to expect you to wait for so long. You’re going to have a lot of offers when I leave. I mean, you get them even now that I’m here. Those girls don’t care about whether you’re dating anyone or not, and they sure as hell don’t see me as a threat. You have a lot of options. Don’t force yourself to stay with me because you feel obligated. That’s all I’m going to say.”</p><p>The previews started and could’ve drowned out any more of the conversation. However, no one else had come in and Kuroo took this opportunity to talk over the commercials as if they weren’t even playing.</p><p>“You’d be okay with me dumping you then? Because some other girl hits me up and thinks I’m hot?”</p><p>Hearing him say it so plainly hurt, but you had to steel yourself for the inevitable. Every day that drew closer to the departure date only made you feel more hopeless. “That’s what I’m saying.”</p><p>He sat in stunned silence for a few agonizing moments. You couldn’t bear to look at him. You focused ahead on the childish, vibrant mascots warning you to be quiet during the movie. The audio was far too loud. You could feel a headache blossoming at the crown of your head.</p><p>Kuroo set his drink into the cupholder and turned towards you fully. “So…think about this, then. You’re going to America and the private school’s co-ed, right? There’s going to be a ton of guys who are tired of the same old girls in town. Would you give me up that easily and just hook up with them because they showed you some interest?”</p><p>“That isn’t the point—”</p><p>“It is to me.” He frowned and searched your expression for any sign of weakness. You avoided eye contact with him, knowing your resolve would break if you did. “There’s always gonna be other girls who see me as a future fling. That doesn’t mean I’ll go for it. Lots of people dating end up just going out for a few months and moving on. That’s never even crossed my mind.”</p><p>“But what if it does? What if you meet someone who you have amazing chemistry with? You shouldn’t be miserable because you think you have to uphold some kind of promise to me. I was already expecting you to break up with me in the first place. I just want to know that…if you ever feel like you’re bored or trapped, then you tell me. I can’t expect you to be this perfect guy. Feelings change.”</p><p>He still didn’t look convinced. “Do you want me to say yes, then? That…if for some reason, I have a thing for someone else, you’ll just step down and the two of us will be alright? Our relationship won’t change?”</p><p>“Tetsurou.” You reached for his hands and found they were ice cold. He was known for being easygoing and adaptable, but this was a side only you were really familiar with. “I want you to understand where I’m coming from, okay? Earlier I got super upset and jealous. That’s not cool. But those kinds of feelings will probably get worse once I’m gone. It isn’t my place to hold you back from hanging out with other girls in the first place. And if you do, and you realize that this long-distance thing isn’t working out, then I’ll bow out. I can’t say for sure that things would be the exact same when I come back, but I don’t think that kind of thing would keep us away from each other forever. I’m kind of still waiting for collateral since you viciously threw that volleyball at my face when we first met. I think it deviated my septum.”</p><p>For once, your sarcastic humor didn’t improve the mood at all.</p><p>“I just don’t get it,” he muttered. “I don’t get what I have to do to get you to understand that this is serious to me. You let your self-esteem get in the way of everything, no matter how much I try to get you to see you the way I do. I’ve never once sat there and doubted how much you care about me. So why can’t you trust me?”</p><p>He pulled his hands out of yours and stood up, leaving his food behind. You were shocked at his sudden move and didn’t even have time to gather yourself up to chase after him. You watched his shadow round the corner toward the exit. A sliver of light poured through from outside and was snuffed out just as quickly.</p><p>You imagined your conversation going much differently. He really left you here all alone. Even though the previews were over and the movie started, you couldn’t be bothered to concentrate. Not when his words bounced around in your head, pounding on each side of your skull and increasing the pressure you felt.</p><p>Why couldn’t Kuroo understand? You weren’t trying to make him mad. You knew you had major insecurities. It came with being told from all sides how undesirable you were. He could try to convince you otherwise until he was blue in the face. You wanted to believe him, you did, but there would always be some doubt that he was genuine. Your problems weren’t something he could change overnight, and it wasn’t his <em>job</em> to try and change you for the better. You wanted him to stop taking things so personally and feel like he was obligated to fix you, no matter how broken you may have felt at times.</p><p>For the next hour and a half that the movie ran, you alternated between bawling your eyes out and struggling to keep your composure. No one came in to check on you since the ushers must have thought it was just another empty showing. You were grateful for the privacy even if part of you wanted Kuroo to come back in so you could pretend none of this ever happened. Your chest seared with a knifelike pain and the bitter tears were endless.</p><p>When the credits rolled, you wiped your face as best you could before you stepped out. The exit was on the other side of the room. Aside from more customers filing in you had to dodge, you had to walk right past the girl from earlier. You couldn’t help but sneak a glance at her from the corner of your eye. She didn’t say anything, nor did she even make a move that implied she recognized you, but it still hurt seeing her pretty face. It was just a stinging reminder of your own inadequacies.</p><p>You lingered outside the front door for a while. At least the cold air soothed your cheeks. You’d rubbed them raw in the darkness of the theater to get them to stop. It didn’t work. You tucked your hands in both of your pockets and your eyes flicked over to the nearby couple you spotted crossing the parking lot.</p><p>Kuroo really cared about you. You knew that. He said he loved you. You knew that, too. You weren’t sure you would ever be able to understand why he chose you out of all the people who would willingly take that place in his heart. Even though you were far from perfect, and you caused him so much pain and frustration, he bore it. He wanted to be together even if you were away. Even if part of you still had your doubts about your relationship lasting through your absence, you had to give him a chance. It was all he was asking for.</p><p>You gathered yourself up and decided to go home. It was where Kuroo would end up, after all. You had no idea where he went or if he sought out comfort from any of your mutual friends. It wasn’t your business, anyway; you hurt him, and he had every right to be upset.</p><p>You were about halfway home, pushing through the crowded sidewalks filled with cheer, when you felt your phone buzz in your pocket. You pulled it out and pressed the button to see what notification came up. It must have been from the others sending selfies in the group chat. To your surprise, it was a simple text.</p><p>
  <em>Turn around.</em>
</p><p>You did so, only to be engulfed in a warm hug that drained you of any lingering negativity. You didn’t even need to look up at the face of the person in front of you to know who it was. You curled your arms around the broad expanse of his back, burying your face in the crook of his neck. You ignored the annoyed mutters from several people who had witnessed your very public display of affection.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” you mumbled into the thick material of his jacket. “I shouldn’t have said any of that. I don’t want you to break up with me. I’m just scared that when I’m gone someone else will take my place.”</p><p>“You’re not the only one.” He tightened his grip on you and you could feel the desperation in his touch, his voice wavering in response. “I keep thinking about you being around all of these guys I don’t know, guys I don’t trust, and it freaks me out. I don’t want you to go. A year is a long time to be away from you.”</p><p>Kuroo acted strong from the moment that he reassured you that you could get through this. You knew he was holding back; You just had no idea how much. He never seemed like the jealous type to you. He was never overprotective. Knowing that he had the same worries you did was a small comfort, even if you were unhappy to hear that he’d been keeping these feelings locked away.</p><p>He drew back just enough to gaze deeply at you. The tension in his face melted. He placed both hands on your face and gently rubbed his fingers over the apples of your cheeks. You could see his lips part and already knew what was coming.</p><p>“No way. That old lady behind us is about to whack you over the head with her shopping bag.” You cracked a smile and he mirrored your expression.</p><p>“Well, guess you’ll just have to make sure I don’t get a concussion, then.”</p><p>You didn’t think he would go through with it, but he did. He kissed you. It wasn’t passionate or messy, but it was warm and melted the chill in your bones. The winter cold had no place here. He pulled back and exhaled through his mouth, a wisp of condensation floating in the small space between you.</p><p>“Absolutely shameless! Both of you!”</p><p>Your hands flew to your face to hide your features from the old crone barking at you both. You hadn’t been joking about the look she gave you earlier.</p><p>Kuroo turned around and shot her one of his trademark charismatic smiles. “Sorry ‘bout that, granny! I got a little carried away. It won’t happen again.”</p><p>She scowled at you both. “You’re lucky that it was just me who caught you. Imagine if your parents had seen such a thing! Both of you go home and keep your hands to yourself! No one needs to see you two canoodling.”</p><p>Canoodling? You did your best to keep a straight face. You weren’t sure what else Kuroo said to her, but she ended up blushing and lightly hitting him on the shoulder. He could sweet talk his way out of anything. She waved you off and Kuroo snatched your hand so you could disappear into the crowd.</p><p>Your hands swung between you - all from Kuroo’s doing. He seemed to be in much better spirits now. You were, too. He snuck a peek at you from the corner of his eyes and when you caught him, he broke into a smirk that had you rolling your eyes.</p><p>By the time you got home, dinner was almost finished. Kenma had been helping in the kitchen. You were impressed at the completed puzzle on the dining room table. It looked like he managed to keep them from tearing each other’s throats out. He was in charge of arranging the fish cakes in your dinner boxes. His bangs were pushed back with a headband you’d gifted him a year ago. The gesture meant he was comfortable enough not to hide behind his hair.</p><p>The TV occupied you for the rest of the night. You were waiting for the hours to wind down since all of you already decided you would ring the bell tonight. That meant leaving a little earlier than usual to get in line for the chance.</p><p>“How was the movie?” your dad asked. “What did you guys end up seeing?”</p><p>You were embarrassed at his question. He hadn’t noticed that anything went awry on your impromptu date. Not that it was any of his business.</p><p>“Really?” Your mom pointed her chopsticks at you from across the table. “You think those two snuck off to actually watch a movie? I’m sure they just needed an excuse to fool around somewhere.”</p><p>You found it difficult to find the right words to rebuke her assumption. You even looked at Kuroo for help, but he just laughed.</p><p>You watched the sunset together in the backyard with cups of hot tea keeping your fingers from going numb. You wondered if it would look different halfway across the world. Would you still be able to appreciate the shades of purple, red and gold as you would tonight? Or would seeing it remind you that you were so far from home?</p><p>Dusk came and went. The muted colors scattered to make way for the darkness staining the sky like a pot of spilled ink. You wished that you had the chance to admire the stars. You weren’t lucky to bask in their ethereal glow. Light pollution from the skyscrapers reaching toward the moon made it impossible for you to do so.</p><p>“We should leave soon.” Your father checked his wristwatch and roused himself up from his seat on the wooden bench in the backyard. “Besides, I’m looking forward to some soup.”</p><p>“We just ate,” you giggled. He was right, though. Nothing was nicer to end the year than a steaming bowl with cute little squares of mochi floating across the top.</p><p>It really felt like your family was complete with all five of you together like this. Kuroo and Kenma flanked you as your parents trailed behind you. You were more than happy to listen to their back-and-forth conversation. Kenma was worried about trying out for the team next year and Kuroo took it upon himself to assuage those fears.</p><p>“I would just hold you back if you had to waste your time looking after me.”</p><p>Kuroo scoffed. “Yeah, right. You know that you’re a valuable player. I’m positive that you’ll find your place with us. And if anyone gives you a hard time, then they’ll have to take it up with me.”</p><p>“You’ll probably be captain in your third year,” Kenma surmised. “If anyone can keep the team in line, it’s you.”</p><p>“I am pretty great. A natural born leader.”</p><p>“More like you’re a natural born bullshitter.” You laughed and tugged on the crook of his elbow. His hand was buried deep within the front pockets of his coat. “Just kidding. I agree with him, Tetsurou. You know the game like the back of your hand, you’re constantly improving, and you know how to relate to your team members. I’ve seen upperclassmen rely on you before. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they picked you as their number one choice.”</p><p>He sighed. “See, Kenma? She’s so in love with me she spends the entire game watching me instead of the plays themselves.”</p><p>“He watches you, too.” Kenma made the statement like it was common knowledge. “All the time. <em>Especially</em> when you’re not looking.”</p><p>“Hey! You can’t just give her all of my secrets. I need collateral for when she gets mouthy.”</p><p>You snickered at their little exchange. “You two crack me up. You were both born as only children so you could become adoptive siblings, I’m sure of it.”</p><p>“Pretty much.” Kuroo laughed and ruffled Kenma’s hair with just enough force to make it puff out. “You can call me ‘big bro Kuroo’ from now on.”</p><p>“No,” Kenma deadpanned, though his eyes were alight with mischief. You gigglesnorted and it brought a sunny smile to his lips.</p><p>You were in awe of how crowded it was this year. It tended to be a hit or miss. Because the bell was rung exactly a hundred and eight times, that meant they only ever dished out that many numbers to people planning to give it a go. You reached the top of the stairs and a nearby greeter handed you a card. Sweet! Only about seventy had been claimed so far, meaning you managed to snag the chance to ring the bell. You were glad. All of you would be bringing in the new year together. As cheesy as it sounded, it felt like a good omen. The rockiness of earlier was all but forgotten. Now you could share this moment with some of the most important people in your life.</p><p>Because it was so cold outside, there was lots of food being handed out at the nearby stands. Soba was a given. Your dad wasn’t joking when he said he wanted soup, because he made a beeline for that bowl like his life depended on it. You chuckled at his overzealousness and inched your way toward the amazake. It was piping hot and even curling your hands around the paper cup brought some life back into your fingers.</p><p>“You sure you aren’t hungry? You barely ate at dinner!” Your mom really thought she could convince Kenma to snack a little more. He had probably the smallest appetite of anyone you knew. It freaked you out. “What if I get something and we share it? Will you help me eat it?”</p><p>He couldn’t say no. Not when his ears turned red from the attention she was drawing from the crowd.</p><p>“Don’t trip when you go up there,” Kuroo nodded toward the bell. His words instantly made it look that much more intimidating.</p><p>“You ass. Don’t say stuff like that. Now it’s definitely going to happen.”</p><p>He chuckled. “It’s fine, I’ll save you. After my turn.”</p><p>You beckoned him to bend down as if you were going to share something top secret. He looked a little wary. With remnants of the drink still smeared along your lips, you smooched him sweetly. He shot you a lopsided smile and went back to his own cup, the corners of his eyes crinkling with mirth.</p><p>You went into autopilot mode when it was your turn to go up. Usually you had performance anxiety in times like this, and Kuroo’s words from earlier did make you tense. Because you knew you wouldn’t get the chance next year, you swallowed your fears and went through with it. Nothing catastrophic happened. The clear sound bounced around and echoed deep into the night, reaching the ears of people who couldn’t be here. It was like a little reassurance that they hadn’t been forgotten.</p><p>You waited for Kuroo to finish his turn. Seeing him lit up by the candlelight sparked something in you. You’d known him for so long, it was hard to believe that this was the same guy who you teased for being so much smaller than you. Every day he only grew into himself more, physically <em>and</em> mentally. He made it so easy to rely on him. You would never tell him this, though. He didn’t need another addition to his long list of merits.</p><p>Kenma agreed to be the cameraman for your parents while they took some pictures together. After just a few rounds, they wanted him included and he ended up having to squeeze into what looked like an uncomfortable selfie. Even though he looked away for the most part and his hair covered his face, you knew that those pictures would hold one of his most treasured memories.</p><p>The last chime of the bell sounded off and it was officially New Year’s! Your mom and dad happily chatted with some of your neighbors who made the trek to the temple. You heard your name being mentioned and sure enough, one of them turned and waved in your direction. You returned it a little shyly. Your parents were so excited about your trip that they were telling practically everyone about it whether you liked it or not.</p><p>You, Kenma and Kuroo took a picture together. You sent it to the group chat.</p><p>Bokuto was the first to respond. He sent you his own selfie of him with cheeks full of noodles. It looked like he was at his house, hunched over the table with several empty bowls next to him.</p><p>Yukie showed you she was already in bed. She ate so many pieces of mochi her stomach caused several of the buttons on her pajama pants to pop off. Typical of her, but also – mood.</p><p>Kaori took a silly selfie with her back against the giant clock in her living room and flashed a peace sign. She something in her arms. It shook its head in the middle of the shot, creating a whorl of blurry fur. You guessed based on the shape of the snout it was a dog?</p><p>Yaku had on a party hat and was playing with some of his younger cousins. He didn’t seem aware of whoever was taking the picture. It was probably his mom. Kids really loved him and it was easy to see why.</p><p>Surprise, surprise – Minoru was dressed in a karategi and was in the middle of training with some of his friends. Did they ever sleep?!</p><p>Akaashi and his family were all seated on the couch watching a movie. It was a muted kind of atmosphere, very much what you expected of him. You spotted a textbook on the table. He was still studying diligently for the Fukurodani entrance exams.</p><p>Kenma’s family called him to just make sure he was doing okay. He stepped off to the side so he could concentrate on their words and not the chaos of the conversations happening around him. You totally understood him. Sensory overload was a thing and it sucked.</p><p>With everyone distracted, Kuroo encouraged you to follow him out of the crowd. You stole off to a small corner of the property where you weren’t exposed to everyone’s watchful eyes. You were at just the right distance where the comforting atmosphere still surrounded you.</p><p>The tip of his nose was red from the cold and his cheeks had a healthy flush. You were immediately drawn to his lips, which looked a little chapped from the wind. You didn’t care, though. You knew what he wanted and you were more than happy to play along.</p><p>“I thought I told you that Kenma was getting the first kiss of the year,” you teased him. You could already feel him dipping down so he could get the perfect angle.</p><p>“He’ll live.” Kuroo sealed his mouth with yours. He must not have been running his mouth as much as you expected because his tongue was a little cold. Even so, you didn’t pull away. You would just share some of your warmth with him.</p><p>What started as an innocent kiss turned into something far more desperate. Was it because the year was over with and you were inching toward your inevitable separation? Or was he still overwhelmed from the fight earlier? Did he want to chase those thoughts away by losing himself in you? You supposed it didn’t really matter.</p><p>You drank in the familiar sensations. You relished his slick tongue against yours, winding, stroking, taste buds meeting briefly before separating again. He pushed you further against the back of the sign you'd ducked behind. You were so enraptured with the pleasant tingling in your lips that you let out a few breathless sighs. Kuroo reached down and tapped your thigh. You weren’t sure what he wanted at first – until he hooked his hand underneath the back of your knee and lifted it up. You gripped onto him tight and he steadied you before you lost your balance.</p><p>You broke off the kiss and drank in his appearance. You always loved how blissed out he looked after your makeout sessions. He licked his lips and leaned forward, this time to put his mouth on your neck and bite down. Your hands clawed at his back from the sharp sting that followed. It got worse with every harsh suck, his lips making short work of your skin. He wanted to leave a mark and you didn’t have the good sense to stop him.</p><p>“You want me to give <em>this</em> up?” he asked, lips hovering just barely over the delicate slope of your neck. It tickled just as much as the swarm of butterflies in the pit of your stomach. “Like I would ever.”</p><p>“I know it was dumb,” you whispered. “I just didn’t want you to feel obligated to stay with me. It’s going to be hard.”</p><p>He could’ve taken the high road, but this was Kuroo you were talking about. “You know what else is hard—”</p><p>“Okay, no. Get off me. You officially ruined the mood.” You slapped his back with barely enough pressure for him to feel it.</p><p>He buried his nose in your skin and inhaled, laughing all the while. “You brought this on yourself. You gave me the perfect setup!”</p><p>“Dieee.” You grabbed either side of his face and gave him a series of short, chaste kisses along each side. “You’re lucky I have a thing for dorky volleyball players with bad bedhead and a knack for getting a rise out of people.”</p><p>“I know, I am pretty irresistible. I guess we’ll just call it even since I have a thing for girls who can roll with my punches. Girls who have a killer pout, a sharp tongue and a body so pretty you kinda-sorta just wanna spend forever obsessing over it.”</p><p>He didn’t let you give a rebuttal. He already closed the distance between you. This time his pace was slower, more deliberate, sexy and soft. You murmured his name the moment he gave your some space to breathe.</p><p>“What is going <em>on </em>over here?!”</p><p>Kuroo dropped you without a second thought. You toppled over from the sudden loss of support and shrieked when you fell backwards into the dirt. Ouch. Your ass! It was numb! You winced and nearly picked up a nearby tuft of grass so you could throw it at the back of his head.</p><p>“You <em>again?</em>” You paled when you realized who it was. “What on earth--?! I thought I told the two of you to behave yourselves! You may not be out on the street where everyone can see you, but this isn’t any better! You’re near a temple, of all things!”</p><p>No. Nooo. <em>Nooooooo.</em> It was the old lady from earlier, the one you barely managed to escape from! If she was annoyed before, she was downright livid now. Her entire face was red, whether from embarrassment or anger, you weren’t too keen on finding out. Kuroo stepped in front of you and tried to find the right words to placate her. It was a lost cause.</p><p>“Where are your parents? I know you didn’t come here alone. Take me to them.”</p><p>Kuroo considered his options. He could’ve gone with the honorable thing to do and faced the music. He would’ve gotten a proper tongue lashing from the old woman in front of a big group of people and faced public humiliation, yourself included. Or…</p><p>He whirled around, yanked you up off the ground by the hand, and dashed for the stairs. You nearly had the wind knocked out of you by the pace he set. All you could hear was the old woman shouting more curses at you as you hurriedly ran down the stairs. You were careful enough that you didn’t miss a step, but if your rhythm was off by one step, you would go tumbling down in a heap of limbs.</p><p>At the base of the temple you struggled to catch your breath. Kuroo had his hands on his knees, bent over, beads of sweat – from nervousness? – running down his brow to his eye. He took one look at you and cackled. You hadn’t even realized why until you glanced down and saw your legs were covered with dark, chunky mud from your earlier fall.</p><p>“You suck!” you shouted between your own bouts of laughter. “You bring us the worst luck ever! Why do I always let you rope me into this kinda stuff?!”</p><p>“You’re a sucker for pretty faces,” he teased. “It’s fine, though. So am I.”</p><p>You swiped your palms along the thick mud and slapped both of his cheeks before he could even dodge you.</p><p>He gaped at you in disbelief after a few seconds. “Wait. This…isn’t mud…”</p><p>You blinked and gazed down at your hands. Oh. <em>OH.</em></p><p>“What the hell?!” he cried out, viciously rubbing at his face. “It smells like shit!”</p><p>“Because it <em>is</em>!” You doubled over. Your knees were no longer able to hold up your full weight. Your chest still burned from the hard run and your cheeks stung from the icy temperatures outside, but you couldn’t care less. “That’s what you get for dropping me!”</p><p>“She caught me off guard!”</p><p>You turned heel and took off in the direction of the house.</p><p>“Where are you going?!”</p><p>“I’m showering first! No way in hell I’m spending the first hours of the new year with poop all over me!”</p><p>He caught up to you easily. There was never a chance you’d win, but it was still worth it to play along like you could. He kept a light jog next to you.</p><p>You stole a glance at his profile. The worries from earlier had all but dissipated. He was living in the moment again. A boyish smile graced his lips and his infectious laughter rumbled in the center of his chest. You already knew this expression was reserved for you and that made it all the more special. You adored him more than he could ever know.</p><p>You returned your attention to the path ahead, eager to follow it so long as he was by your side.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know I sound like a broken record, but the amount of support this fic has gotten really means a lot to me. Whether it's comments, kudos or you just stopping by every week, I couldn't be more humbled by you taking the time to read this.</p><p>See y'all next week!</p>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Persistence</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kuroo has never been the type of guy to give up on things easily.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I took some creative liberties for this chapter (re: Kuroo's childhood), so keep that in mind! I'm the type of person who usually tries to stick as close to canon as possible, but I couldn't help myself this time around.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kuroo’s mother spent what little time she had with her son showering him with unconditional love. Being a stay-at-home mom, she busied herself with cooking up his favorite recipes, patching together the clothes he somehow sullied day in and day out, and bringing him outside to enjoy the fresh air.</p><p>His favorite place was the park with peach blossoms. They rained down with every short gust of wind, the nearly translucent, soft pink petals tickling his skin with every gentle brush. His hand was firmly clasped in hers as she took him on sunny walks. He passed by other kids playing in the park, couples on long strolls, and vendors selling tri-colored sticks of dango that made his teeth stick together in sugary delight.</p><p>He adored her. Even as her steps slowed and the trips become more infrequent, he was by her side at nearly all hours of the day.</p><p>When she passed away, he found himself at a loss. She no longer answered his quiet calls for her. He wandered into the kitchen and found it devoid of any warmth or affection. It was just an empty room painted in muted colors. The joyous atmosphere she created within their home was sapped away by her sudden absence.</p><p>He wasn’t old enough to understand what happened to her. He remembered asking his father when she was coming back. He was told time and time again that his mother was dead, but he couldn’t grasp it. Why would she leave him all alone? Why would she abandon him? Had he done something wrong?</p><p>He spent a good portion of his time gazing outside the window. He hoped one day she would come walking up with that lavender-colored roller suitcase she used to pack her overnight bag when they took her to the hospital. When he later found that same piece of luggage in the hallway closet, he wondered if maybe she had slipped in when he was sleeping and he missed her visit yet again.</p><p>He watched his father pray to the altar adorned with her portrait. The incense burned the back of his throat and it was boring to sit in silence.</p><p>“Do I have to?”</p><p>“Do as you’re told, Tetsurou.”</p><p>He wiggled in his seat and hoped that the nightly occurrence would cease the moment she called out that she was home.</p><p>Kuroo’s grandparents moved in not too long after that. They were tasked in watching him as his father went back to work. They were kind enough, he supposed. They were always weary by the end of the day and cut the bedtime stories a little short. Their pace as he dragged them through the park was staggered with frequent breaks. It became so frustrating for him that he stopped asking to go out at all.</p><p>With his father always working long hours, Kuroo didn’t see much of him. He never truly felt like their relationship was the same after his mother died. He knew it was the weight of a highly stressful position that made his father so unapproachable at times.</p><p>Kuroo didn’t want to be a bother. Not to his grandparents, who struggled to keep up with his games and toys, and not to his father, who wanted to spend his weekends sipping sake in front of the television. He decided it was best to take care of himself.</p><p>He learned to be alone.</p><p>It wasn’t so bad, at first. His imagination took him far. In his fantasies, he imagined that an evildoer kidnapped his mother and refused to give her back. He would set out on a long, arduous journey to rescue her. He opened books and immersed himself in the stories that others wrote. He became invested in daydreams that carried him far away from the mundane life he was set to live.</p><p>Then they had to move. His father was offered a more lucrative position. They would go from the small, quiet town to the heart of Japan in Tokyo itself. Kuroo hated that day. Even with the boxes packed it didn’t quite hit him. Not until he was forcibly removed from his mother’s kitchen. He cried, “How will she know where we are?”</p><p>His father only repeated that she wasn’t coming back.</p><p>Kuroo took some time to settle into his new home. It didn’t help that all of the new sights, sounds and experiences became quickly overwhelming. His father was away trying to tie things up at work. His grandparents did the best they could to console him, but it soon became too hard to bear. Sometimes he woke up and it felt like there was something tight looped around his neck, squeezing down until he couldn’t breathe. He heard unfamiliar voices outside of his home and ran into his room to bury himself under the blankets. He cried every single time his grandparents forced him to come along with them to the grocery store.</p><p>He didn’t have any friends his age. At school, he was too nervous to speak up in class. His classmates were loud, boisterous, well-adjusted and confident. Their parents picked them up from school and packed cute little bento boxes.</p><p>Kuroo’s grandmother wasn’t a particularly good cook; her arthritis made it so difficult for her to use the fine motor skills required to make him his own meals. His grandfather was traditional and believed only women should know how to do such things. Kuroo often ate from vending machine snacks because he was too scared to wait in the lunch line all on his own.</p><p>“Don’t you think he should be playing with kids his age?”</p><p>“I’m worried. Is he going to be okay?”</p><p>“He shouldn’t be stuck in the house all day.”</p><p>“He needs something to occupy his time.”</p><p>One day, his grandparents took him to the house next door to forcibly introduce himself to a boy a year younger than he was. He was all nerves and the awkwardness threatened to swallow him whole.</p><p>As terrifying as the experience was, that was the day Kuroo met Kenma. It was the same day that the two of them gravitated towards each other. They became fast friends. Kuroo’s hesitation and fear melted away with every interaction they had. He could see in Kenma’s eyes that on some level, they were similar. He felt comfortable with the boy who was too shy to even make eye contact with people speaking to him.</p><p>Kuroo knew how Kenma felt. He saw his own struggles in everything Kenma did. He didn’t want someone to go through that alone. While each day he gained new confidence, he shared his experiences with his friend. They ditched the video games for sports and spent afternoons practicing, no matter how ill Kenma would get afterwards.</p><p>For the first time in a while, Kuroo felt like he had a family again. Not only in Kenma’s parents, who were always happy to see him, but in Kenma himself. Kuroo felt strong when he was around him. He felt like he had to set a good example. He was the older of the two, after all! He liked being relied on for once. He liked looking over his shoulder and leading Kenma on to every single adventure, whether it ended well or not.</p><p>Kuroo never had any siblings. His mother died before she could grace him with one. In some way, he was glad: he had Kenma. They watched each other’s backs, got on each other’s nerves, laughed and cried, got into mischief and stuck up for each other. They settled into each other’s lives. They were more than best friends. They were brothers.</p><p>“You’re really weird, you know that, Kenma? It’s okay. I am, too.”</p><p>Yes, he experienced loss at a young age. It shaped him into the person he was today. A boy who wasn’t quick to throw away the relationships he forged with others. It was why when Kenma shrank back and tried to hide into himself, Kuroo took it upon himself to drag him back out. He made a promise that he would never let time or distance sever their bond.</p><p>Just like any little boy, Kuroo regarded girls with an equal amount of intrigue and boredom. The girls in his class were so different. He liked to play volleyball. They skipped rope and sang rhymes. He laughed when he pulled pranks and when people got hurt. They played doctor with each other and side-eyed him before telling the teacher. He didn’t mind them so much. A few girls in his class were tomboys and were glad to toss a ball around with him.</p><p>He was used to girls saying he was annoying. He was used to them making fun of his hair or pretending to blow him kisses just to get him riled up.</p><p>He was not, however, used to girls like you.</p><p>In the moment where Kuroo’s ball sailed over the fence and smacked the random girl on the sidewalk, his reaction was as follows: “Oh, crap!”, mild fear, shaky and nervous laughter, then hysterics. He really hadn’t meant to hurt anyone, but the harsh <strong><em>SMACK!</em></strong> of the ball against skin was too hilarious to ignore. He was so distracted by his outburst that he hadn’t taken a moment to really pay attention to who it was he injured.</p><p>It wasn’t your appearance that struck him. Not at first, anyway. All he saw behind your eyes was sheer fury. You raised your voice and shouted at him even though it cracked midway. You stood up to him and made him feel awful for what he’d done…in retrospect, it was a great lesson in humility. When you tossed his volleyball toward the street, he saw his world crumble away.</p><p>You left Kuroo and Kenma. He was floored with what just happened.</p><p>It wasn’t until you returned that he felt genuine fear and guilt stuck in his throat. He hadn’t realized it before, but the ball caused a nosebleed. The rivulet of blood that ran down to your clothes was a little scary to look at. You were taller than he was, weighed more, and could’ve easily drop-kicked him if you so willed it. He swallowed hard and prepared himself for the worst.</p><p>“I’m sorry for losing your ball.”</p><p>He cradled the brand new one in his hands. It was like a switch had been flipped. When he gazed up at you, you were no longer the all-powerful, cackling witch he had envisioned the second that garbage truck took off with his most prized possession. In his mind, you were the embodiment of kindness. It was cliché, but hell, he didn’t have to admit it to anyone: you were like an angel of mercy.</p><p>“I was so scared! I thought for sure she was gonna beat us up!” Kuroo babbled the entire time he and Kenma walked home, the shining MIKASA stamp on the side causing his eyes to twinkle. “She seems cool though. What do you think?”</p><p>Kenma didn’t look entirely convinced. “Dunno.”</p><p>“Well, she definitely needs friends! She doesn’t know anyone. Maybe we can teach her to play volleyball, too! She sucked at it pretty bad earlier, but so did you!”</p><p>“Hey…”</p><p>Kuroo laughed. “Just kiddin’! Hey, can I come over for dinner again?”</p><p>As the spring break stretched on, Kuroo found himself seeking you out. He liked seeing your reactions. He teased you and you were always ready to dish it right back. But then you would be soft and kind to Kenma, always patient, trying to engage him so he didn’t feel left out. Kuroo was grateful for that and he genuinely thought it was awesome of you to do so.</p><p>Kuroo refused to let you go so easily. Despite break ending, he exchanged numbers so you could keep in contact. He waited with bated breath for his next break to see you. He felt like he needed to show off for some reason, to make you admit you thought he was cool.</p><p>“It was definitely her.” Kuroo hurried across the sand, nearly stumbling over someone’s sandcastle in the process. “Girls wear bikinis, don’t they? D’you think she is? I didn’t get a good look.” His eyes crawled across the horizon and he spotted a variety of them adorning bodies of all sizes.</p><p>Kenma shrugged. “Girls in our class wear one-pieces, though.”</p><p>“We’ll just have to see, then!”</p><p>The day at the beach brought you closer than ever. He watched – very carefully – at how you were so gentle with Kenma. You led him into the water and spoke with him earnestly, gaining a multitude of soft looks from the younger boy. Kuroo was ecstatic. He felt like this was the missing link to the chain. You, him and Kenma, best friends taking the neighborhood by storm.</p><p>“You actually hung out with a girl this summer? Why?”</p><p>Kuroo served again and pumped a fist when he saw it sail over the net. It had been one of his weakest moves and joining the team at school gave him ample opportunity to practice it. “She’s pretty cool even if she’s bad at Mario Kart. She goes to a different school though, so she only comes during breaks.”</p><p>“Sounds made up,” one of his teammates snickered.</p><p>“I wouldn’t want to play with a <em>girl</em> even if I had to!” another screeched. “My mom always makes me take my dumb baby sister out with me when I want to ride bikes. She doesn’t even know how to ride a regular bike, she still has <em>training wheels</em>!”</p><p>“What about it, Kozume?” They zeroed in on him as he bent down to pick up another ball to toss for Kuroo. “Is she real, or is Kuroo full of it?”</p><p>Kenma nodded to confirm your existence. “She’s nice.”</p><p>They gaped at his quick response. “Whoaaa, he actually spoke!”</p><p>Before they could drill him for more information, everyone heard the gym door slam closed as someone darted across the court. It was Saotome, the class clown.</p><p>“Sorry I’m late!” he yelled out to the coach.</p><p>“Where have you been now?” Their coach pinched the bridge of his nose with his eyes screwed shut. “Don’t tell me I have to apologize to any of your teachers again.”</p><p>“Nope!” Saotome grinned and shrugged his backpack onto the floor. “I was with my <em>girlfriend!</em>”</p><p>“Girlfriend…?”</p><p>Kuroo listened in to the conversation. He and Saotome were the same age and he hadn’t even known that any of the girls in his class were interested in dating.</p><p>“Yup! We went to the movies last night…my mom went to a different theater and everything! I bought her a drink and popcorn and we shared it.”</p><p>“Did you kiss?”</p><p>“Ew, gross! Why would you wanna kiss a girl?”</p><p>“Alright, alright. Enough!” their coach barked. “You can talk about this more after practice. Now let’s start off with some laps. Saotome, you get an extra two for being late. Don’t let it happen again.”</p><p>Kuroo was distracted the entire rest of the afternoon. Kenma noticed. As they walked home together, he kept thinking about the sight after practice. Saotome was approached by one of the girls in his class. She was pretty enough, he guessed. She brought him a drink and they walked off together holding hands.</p><p>“Hey Kenma, do you like anyone?”</p><p>Kenma didn’t say anything at first as a thousand different scenarios ran through his head. He realized Kuroo was waiting for him to continue and he jumped slightly. “N-no.”</p><p>“Oh…” Kuroo felt like he was at an even bigger loss for words. “I wonder how you know you like someone. How’s it different from being friends?”</p><p>“Because you want to hug and kiss them?” Kenma offered. “Like in the movies.”</p><p>“That must be it.” Kuroo stared ahead in determination. “I wonder if anyone likes me. Or you. Lots of girls ask me about you.”</p><p>Kenma realized what he said and recoiled, a blush blossoming across his face. “They do?”</p><p>“Yeah.” He huffed. “They always say I’m annoying, though. What’s the deal with that? Anyways, in case you’re wondering, it was Michiko who asked about you. She asked what your favorite color was.”</p><p>As Kenma opened the door to head inside his home, Kuroo hesitated before following him. Kenma looked back at him and was surprised to see him staring at the ground in such deep concentration.</p><p>“Do you…think <em>she</em> likes anyone?”</p><p>Kenma knew who was talking about immediately. He tried to recall any mention you’d made about boys in class, but nothing came up. “I don’t think so. If she did, I feel like she would talk about it a lot.”</p><p>“Maybe…” Kuroo trailed off. “Hey Kenma…do <em>you</em> like her?”</p><p>“Like-like?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>Kenma stammered and looked for an escape, clearly confused by this line of questioning. “I-I don’t think so.”</p><p>“Even though she’s really nice to you?” Kuroo frowned and his hand tightened around the strap of his bag slung over his shoulder. “If you ever do, you should tell me. So I can ask you what it feels like.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Kuroo busied himself with volleyball for the majority of the year. He asked his younger friends to keep a watchful eye on Kenma while he moved on to junior high school. He was sad to leave him all alone, even though he knew Kenma was fully capable of caring for himself. He wondered how you were faring with the transition. Kuroo knew that you weren’t exactly the best at being truthful with how you felt.</p><p>The topic continued to burn in the back of his mind. Girlfriend. Crushes. Dating. Being in junior high, even more of his peers were sending each other notes in class, giggling, eating lunches together and going on dates after school. It wouldn’t have bothered him so much, except…he had this nagging feeling about you. What if you had a boyfriend? The thought made him a little nauseous, even if he wasn’t sure why.</p><p>“Hey, you got a crush on anyone?” He blurted the question over the phone. He had intended to segue into it a little more casually. It just happened. Kenma was silent next to him, his face flat – as if he wasn’t surprised at all that Kuroo asked it in the first place.</p><p>You were immediately suspicious of his motives. “Why?”</p><p>“Just curious. I mean…” He searched for any kind of excuse and a single name popped into memory. “Your friend Yaku…you talk about him a lot.”</p><p>“<em>Yakkun</em>?” you repeated, incredulous. “Oh, ew, no. I don’t like him like that. He and I are just friends, I told you that a million times.”</p><p>“You never talk about any other guys,” Kuroo pointed out. “Do you talk about this kind of stuff with him, then? Or aren’t we your friends?”</p><p>“You guys are my friends, but it’s weird talking about crushes and boys with…I don’t know, boys? Girls react to it differently. We share secrets with each other. It is funny you mentioned Yakkun though, because when I was a kid, I basically told everyone in my family that he was gonna be my husband someday. My mom even has videos of it. It’s so embarrassing.”</p><p>Kuroo laughed. Hard.</p><p>“Hey! It’s not <em>that</em> funny!”</p><p>“Well, at least you’re kinda normal,” Kuroo snickered. “We can focus on having fun instead of boring stuff like dating and crushes.”</p><p>You were silent for a few beats. Kuroo wondered if he said something to offend you. He could go a little overboard sometimes and hurt your feelings.</p><p>“I never said I didn’t like anyone,” you finally muttered. “I do have a crush on someone at school.”</p><p>Kuroo wasn’t sure why the answer left him stunned. He thought for sure you were deflecting because you didn’t see anyone like that. He had been suspicious for a long time that you and Yaku were secretly dating. Or that you at least harbored a crush on him. He thought he was in the clear. What he didn’t expect was the ugly feeling in his chest when hearing your confession.</p><p>“Who?” he finally asked, trying to keep his tone teasing. “I bet it’s someone as big of a nerd as you.”</p><p>“Is not. He’s really cool,” you defended your crush. “He’s a year ahead of me and plays basketball, so he’s super tall. He walks in the same direction I do, so one time I bought him a drink so he could cool down after practice. I went to one of his games a few nights ago and someone said he looked right at me in the bleachers.”</p><p>Kuroo drank in your words for a moment. It felt like he had taken a blow directly to the face. His heart hurt. He fisted at his shirt in the spot where it was and ignored the concerned look that Kenma gave him.</p><p>“Yeah?” he sneered. “He sounds like a dork.”</p><p>“What the heck? Didn’t you just hear me? I said he’s really cool!” you fumed. “He’s super mature and is nice to his underclassmen. Plus, he’s hot.”</p><p>“<em>Hot</em>?” Since when did you even say stuff like this? “What’s so hot about him?”</p><p>“Um, I don’t know, maybe because he has soft hair that looks really good when it’s pushed back, like he does when he’s sweating during practice. He touched my hand when I gave him the drink and I freaked out. He has this cute mole on his cheek and big brown eyes, he’s huge and I’m pretty sure he even has abs. Also, his voice changed after winter break so it’s deep and like, I melt when he talks.”</p><p>“Gross,” Kuroo barked. “This is gross.”</p><p>“You’re the one who asked! What is your <em>problem</em>?” He could hear you start to raise your voice. “First you ask me if I like anyone, then when I say I do and tell you about him, you totally diss him. You don’t even know him.”</p><p>He knew you were right. It didn’t make him any less upset. He threw the phone onto the bed and stormed out of the room. He knew Kenma would have to do damage control and end the call peacefully. He couldn’t be bothered to care at this point.</p><p>Why did it hurt so much to hear you gush about some other guy? You were right, Kuroo had no idea who he was or what he was like. He heard enough to know that he didn’t like him. For some reason, he never thought you were the type of girl to go crazy over boys like your peers. It was off-putting to realize that you <em>did</em>, just not about him. Didn’t you think he was cool or cute at all?</p><p>He walked back into the room and Kenma was still on the phone. Kuroo sank down onto the bed and took the phone, glancing down at the receiver.</p><p>“Uh…sorry about what I said earlier.”</p><p>“It’s fine. Kenma told me that you had a bad day…so…”</p><p>Kenma shrugged when Kuroo mouthed what you said. He must have just picked an excuse so your interaction wouldn’t get any worse.</p><p>“Anyways…do you like anyone, Kuroo?”</p><p>Kuroo saw flashes of you through his mind. Your raucous laughter and the time you spewed soda out of your nose, complaining as it stung your nostrils and caused snot to drip down to your chin. He thought of the time when your hair brushed against his cheek and the sweet scent of your shampoo sent his heartbeat into overdrive. Your smile always had him grinning. He followed your figure with enthusiastic eyes when you crossed the room, marveling at how soft you were whenever you sat close enough for your shoulders to bump together. He found himself thinking about the inviting shape of your lips and wondering whether they tasted as good as the shining gloss made them look.</p><p>“No way.” Kuroo would rather die than admit it, especially not to you. “I don’t need another girl driving me crazy.”</p><p>“Ha! Well, I feel kinda sorry for whichever girl dates you. I’ll have to talk to her beforehand. Girls are sensitive and you’re like…kind of dumb. No offense.”</p><p>When he hung up, his cheeks burned and Kenma actually laughed at him. “You have a crush on her.”</p><p>For once in his life, Kuroo didn’t have any kind of smart comeback.</p><p>Being fully aware of his feelings for you didn’t make things any easier. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that it complicated things. Kuroo was torn between trying to act normal (“You’re being quiet today, Kuroo”) or teasing (“Oh my god, you’re getting on my nerves!”). It seemed like everything he did was wrong. He walked a tightrope over the boundaries of friendship and romance, teetering with every step. Who knew where’d land when he finally lost his balance and fell?</p><p>The worst part was he had no one to talk to about it. Kenma was so absorbed in gaming and volleyball that he didn’t have any interest or effort in anything else. His father was in and out of his life as it was. His grandfather? Please. The first time he met you, he made a later comment about how women were supposed to be delicate and waifish. Kenma’s dad was kind to him, but it just didn’t seem right to chat his ear off about his conundrum.</p><p>“Dude, did you seriously just get another confession?”</p><p>Kuroo stared down at the love letter that had been placed in his shoe locker. It was like something out of a movie. He glanced back and forth, wondering if it was some kind of joke.</p><p>“Give it here!” his friend cried, snatching it out of his hands. “<em>Dear Kuroo, you might not know who I am, but I’ve been admiring you the entire year.</em>” He couldn’t stop from bursting out into laughter. “This is so cheesy!”</p><p>“Hey, give it back.” Kuroo sighed and looked over the handwritten note for himself. Truth be told, he had no idea who this person even was. He felt bad that he would reject her so readily. It wouldn’t be fair to lead her on or make her feel like there was a chance.</p><p>“You gonna turn her down, too?”</p><p>“Yeah, man. Kuroo already said he’s sweet on that imaginary girl from another school.”</p><p>His friend scoffed. “If she’s so great, why haven’t we met her?”</p><p>Kuroo didn’t have a concrete answer for that. His friends were fun to pal around with, but they could be stupid and say hurtful things. They made fat jokes just to piss girls off. He couldn’t trust any of them with you. Besides, what if one of them started crushing on you after all? He wouldn’t be able to stand it if they hit it off. He had one guy in particular who he was wary of, only because he insisted on at least seeing pictures of the so-called mystery girl.</p><p>“Because she doesn’t exist. Duh.”</p><p>Kuroo made his way to the rooftop for the second time that month. He wondered what it was that the girls saw in him that you didn’t. The girl was already waiting for him. He dropped into a bow before she could get a word out, apologizing that he wouldn’t be able to return her feelings. She ran past him and cried…just like the other one.</p><p>Puberty was weird. It was weird. Kuroo had seen what it did to you. He hadn’t really noticed it at first, seeing as how you were just some other girl. Then it slapped him across the face. He found himself staring openly at your body and its soft curves. His mouth went dry seeing the fabric cling to your body in a different way. Your chest, stomach, hips and thighs were all so enticing it was hard to think about anything else.</p><p>“Smirks, what are you eating? You’re like smacking your lips and it’s hurting my ears.”</p><p>He put some distance between himself and the phone, embarrassed and trying to play it off. “Chocolate from today.”</p><p>“Homemade or store bought?”</p><p>He frowned and peered at the box. He hadn’t really thought about it. “I guess homemade? Some girl gave it to me.”</p><p>“You actually accepted them? Wow, that is…really surprising. I mean, like, I had no idea you were into anyone.”</p><p>His brow furrowed. “What? It’s Valentine’s Day. It’s just chocolate.”</p><p>A beat passed and he was met with eerie silence. You finally spoke. “Hold on. You…do know what that means, right? When a girl gives your homemade chocolate on V-Day?”</p><p>Kuroo didn’t, but he was already dreading the lecture. “Uh…no?”</p><p>“Duuuude!” He could hear you shuffling around like you’d just sat up from your spot on the couch. “Are you serious?! There’s different types of chocolate! Store bought is what you give friends and classmates. If she gave you chocolates she made herself, it was a confession! And you accepted it!”</p><p>Suddenly the thought of it sitting in the pit of his stomach made him sick. “What?”</p><p>“Uh, yeah! When you accept her chocolates, you’re accepting her feelings! How do you not know this?! Well I sure hope that you actually like her, or else I’m gonna be super mad!”</p><p>He sighed. Why was this so complicated? Why didn’t he have an older brother who could explain this kind of stuff to him? “She didn’t say anything, she just shoved them at me and asked if I would accept them…”</p><p>“Yeah. Accept her <em>feelings</em>. The chocolates are a representation of her love for you!” You groaned loudly. “Do you like her or not?”</p><p>“No?”</p><p>“Then WHY did you…argh! Kuroo! You need to talk to her ASAP and tell her it was a misunderstanding. Give it to her gently. She’s probably spent the whole night gushing about how you like her to all her friends and family! You seriously are the worst!”</p><p>Something didn’t feel right. “You make chocolates for that guy all the time, though.”</p><p>“That guy” referring to Yaku, who Kuroo still held a grudge against. Ever since the two of them faced off against each other, Kuroo was convinced that he had a thing for you. Why else would he be such a jerk?</p><p>“That’s different. Yakkun and I have been friends for a long time and I always thought it was nicer to make him something since I care about him so much. But it’s not like I like him, and he doesn’t like me, either. We understand that. What you did was just totally use a girl for her chocolates without thinking twice about it. I get that you’re like, not familiar with this or whatever, but this is so messed up! If you have her number, call her. Better yet, you should go and visit her right now and apologize.”</p><p>That had been one of the most awkward experiences of his life. Kenma agreed to tag along, even though he stood off to the side. Kuroo faced down his classmate who – just as you said – was ecstatic to see him. She tried to invite him inside to introduce him to her parents, but he stopped her before she could even ask. He explained everything just the way you told him to. Even so, she slammed the door in his face, and he stood there dumbly with no idea what to do next.</p><p>For a whole month after that incident, the girls in school treated him like he was garbage. He supposed he deserved it. He was a little impressed that they were able to band together like that, even if the vitriol was directed at him.</p><p>When White Day came around, he brought the girl a flower.</p><p>“Thanks, Kuroo, but…I’m over you now, so if you were trying to win me back, this isn’t going to work.”</p><p>He stared at her. “Uh…no. Actually, my friend told me I should give you that. She…said I should say I’m sorry again. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes and grabbed it before he could back off. “Fine, you’re forgiven. You should really thank your friend. At least <em>she</em> has some sense.”</p><p>Per your request, he sent you his prized figurine of Vegeta from Dragonball Z. It was repayment for getting him out of hot water.</p><p>Kuroo’s body went through its own changes. He grew taller, his voice dropped, he was cursed with body hair in the weirdest places and most of all, he spent so much of his time fantasizing. Not even just ideas of the two of you kissing, hugging or going out on dates, which had been his primary focus before. Now it was making out, touching, leaving hickies, nudging his hand between your legs or fondling you through your clothes. It got so bad that even just seeing you in person had him wishing he had x-ray vision.</p><p>He noticed you’d been treating him differently, too. Like you were more aware of him. Innocent side-armed hugs and shoves now felt more awkward and stiff. It was as if you were afraid of having him near. Were you actually seeing him as a guy and not just a friend?</p><p>“Think she's into anyone these days?” Kuroo rolled the volleyball between his hands, concentrating on the way the leather stuck to the pads of his fingers. “She hasn’t said anything. Not since that one guy graduated and she found out he had a girlfriend in high school.”</p><p>Kenma shrugged. “You could ask her.”</p><p>“No way. We know what happened last time.” He bounced it onto the ground a few more times. “Shit, I’m in deep, huh? You must get sick of me talking about it all the time.”</p><p>His best friend chuckled. “It <em>is</em> pretty funny.”</p><p>“What? Funny how?” He frowned and tossed the ball at Kenma, knowing full well that he’d catch it before it hit him square in the face. His hands drew up to his hips and he craned his neck up towards the sky. It comforted him knowing you were under the same one, as cheesy as it was. “Besides, I wasn’t the one letting her fawn all over me the entire time we went ice skating.”</p><p>That only made Kenma laugh more. “You don’t have to be jealous. I won’t take her away from you.”</p><p>Kuroo had thought about it. He was fully aware that in all likelihood Kenma had a crush on you, too. It made the most sense. Kenma was the type of guy to keep a lid on those feelings because he cared for Kuroo’s happiness. Kuroo would’ve been the same way and insisted Kenma go for it – if it was literally anyone else. He was ashamed that he was selfish when it came to you.</p><p>“Maybe you’re more her type. I can’t get a read on her.”</p><p>“It could be your strategy…” Kenma trailed off. He often used his experiences with video games to relate to other people. “You’re waiting for her to fall for you. You should be the one to take action. She has problems with trusting others and not wanting to get embarrassed by reading into things. I think you should tell her how you feel.”</p><p>Kuroo sighed. He knew his friend was right, but it still sucked. “Easy for you to say. What if she friendzones me?”</p><p>“The friendzone isn’t real, Kuroo,” Kenma deadpanned. “You know that.”</p><p>“Okay, okay. Yeah. It isn’t.” His hands dropped to his sides and clenched into fists. “What if I tell her, she says no, then it’s awkward and ruins our friendship forever?”</p><p>Kenma blinked at him. “It’s either that or you keep it to yourself and lose your chance when someone else asks her out.”</p><p>“Damn it…”</p><p>Kuroo sat at the table and checked his phone for the umpteenth time. He was waiting on a response from you over something trivial, but the anticipation was killing him. The messages between you were constant throughout the day.</p><p>“What’s so great about this chick, anyway?” One of his friends shoveled more food into his mouth, glancing at the blackened screen as Kuroo hit the lock button. “She must be really hot or really funny for you to be this obsessed.”</p><p>Kuroo didn’t miss a beat. “All of the above. Hey, did you steal my last piece of chicken?”</p><p>“What do we know about this mystery girl?” His friend mused. “Let’s see: Kuroo has been pining over her for all of junior high. He’s never gotten the balls to ask her out. She apparently beat him twice last week at Mario Kart even though he said she sucked at it. She got him to say sorry to a girl just because he took her chocolates…still don’t get why you had to do that. She’s got you wrapped around her finger, you know that?”</p><p>“Okay, I believe she exists. No way he would torture himself like this over someone made up. Unless he’s one of those guys who are into pain.”</p><p>Kuroo didn’t know how to summarize his feelings for you. They just…<em>were</em>. It all started that moment where his simple volleyball practice caused your paths to cross. He never looked back. He chased you throughout the years and you never left him behind even if it seemed like you were ten steps ahead of him.</p><p>It wasn’t as if it was all superficial. Sure, you basically occupied every single wet dream now. And yes, he was stupefied every time you crossed paths while you wore your (downright sinful) school uniform. He had seen your acts of kindness and experienced them firsthand. He knew you were loyal to the people you loved. He was enamored with your impassioned rambles about whatever topic you dreamed up. You had no qualms about holding your intelligence over him, either. He really did enjoy the fact that you were so much more mature than he was.</p><p>You had your issues, of course, anxiety and insecurity being the biggest factors. It didn’t deter him. He saw you triumph over your struggles and battle with them every day, never letting them get the best of you. It was your tenacity and seriousness that drew him in and inspired him. He took great pride in the fact that you called him a friend and he couldn’t imagine a life without you.</p><p>“You’re going to Nekoma, right? Then tell her to go, too. At least you guys can spend time together.”</p><p>“You don’t really see her all that much. Are you sure that you actually like her, or just the <em>idea</em> of her?”</p><p>“Whoa, dude, that was like…so deep.”</p><p>“Yeah, right! He’s just repeating that line from that movie we saw last night!”</p><p>Kuroo hadn’t even considered the possibility of you going to the same high school. It made him a little giddy even if he had to keep his cool. He would play volleyball and maybe he could convince you to be the manager of the team. That way, even if you weren’t in the same homeroom, he would be able to keep a close eye on you after class. He would be able to walk you to and from school, show you that he was dating material, and you'd eventually accept his confession. He had it all planned out.</p><p>Your independence was something Kuroo adored and abhorred all at once. He was constantly impressed that you didn’t cling to him like other girls did. You gave him space and managed to maintain your intimacy despite that. However, you also had your own goals you worked towards…goals that you didn’t necessarily run by him.</p><p>He could sense something was off about you the day that he met your new acquaintance. He honestly didn’t even remember her name even after exchanging numbers with her. He wormed his way into the time you had set aside to spend with her.</p><p>Kuroo knew when girls liked him. He wasn’t blind. He recognized the shy, sweet smiles and the batting eyelashes. When she questioned him about his school, friends and hobbies, he answered her disinterestedly. Mostly because he was tired of having to hurt girls’ feelings, especially one that you had seemingly just befriended.</p><p>For some reason, you took off and left him behind with what’s-her-name. She nibbled on her lower lip and shot him big doe eyes.</p><p>“I’m sorry for getting in the way. You really like her, don’t you?”</p><p>Kuroo almost lost his cool. Almost. “Huh? That obvious?”</p><p>“Um…yes…” She giggled. “If a guy ever stared at me the way you did to her, I think I would pass out. I don’t know either of you very well yet, but she seems like she feels more than she lets on. I wouldn’t give up just yet. Oh, and Kuroo? If you ever need any advice about girls…you could always text me! I’ll be your ‘in’!” She winked at him.</p><p>“Seriously? You’d do that?”</p><p>“Yup. I think it’s romantic. I’m rooting for you two!”</p><p>He wasn’t sure if he should be embarrassed that a complete stranger picked up on his feelings. Girls were always perceptive and it was terrifying at how adept they were at this kind of thing.</p><p>He wondered if that meant that you knew all along and you were just keeping him at arm’s length because you didn’t want to hurt his feelings. You never seemed too bothered when he spoke about girls in school that he thought were cute. Part of him wished it would trigger a little bit of jealousy. You never took the bait. And sure, there were classmates here and there that he did find attractive and got flustered around. He just couldn’t ever imagine dating them.</p><p>He experienced one of the first big fights with you not too long after that. He still couldn’t understand what caused you to turn on him with so much anger in your heart. He was baffled. Part of him wanted to believe that it was because you were jealous, but he didn’t want to be disappointed. You’d never gotten worked up about other girls in his life before…so why would you start now?</p><p>Well, he got his answer.</p><p>As Kuroo sat on your bed, he stared at your lips in wonder. He could hear the words. He could comprehend them. The buzzwords struck him dumb. Handsome. Boyfriend. Cute. Cool. You poured out your hidden feelings and every single compliment towards him only caused his ego to grow. He felt airy and light, like the heaviest weight sitting on his shoulders had finally lifted. After all this time, he resigned himself to waiting until the right moment to be blunt and outright with it. You beat him to it.</p><p>The first kiss you shared was unlike anything he’d experienced before. A jolt of electricity zipped down from his lips to the pit of his belly. Something awakened in him. His head was stuffed with cotton and his words came out slow, hands clumsy and fumbling as if they didn’t even belong to him. All he could think about was the taste of you on his tongue, the softness of your body, fully within his grasp and so ready for him to hold.</p><p>When your lips finally parted, he thought for sure that if you hadn’t been anchoring him to the spot that he would’ve floated away.</p><p>Everything went uphill from there.</p><p>For Kuroo, being in a relationship with you was different. So different. In a <em>very</em> good way. He thought he was okay with friendship alone, but this put those thoughts to bed as quickly as they came. He didn’t have to curb his longing stares. He didn’t have to pine after you. He took advantage of the moments he had. He could touch you, kiss you, hold you, and finally blurt out all of those overwhelming feelings that had been bubbling in his chest for years.</p><p>“You’re in quite the good mood,” his grandmother mentioned one day. “Did something happen?”</p><p>“Yeah.” He was happy to brag about it and had been meaning to let his family know. “Actually, I’ve got a girlfriend now.”</p><p>“Oh?” She chuckled. “It was bound to happen. I suppose this means you’ve gotten over the chubby one, then.”</p><p>“Uh…” He didn’t even realize that they were aware of his feelings for you. It seemed like it was obvious to everyone except you. “That’s who I’m dating.”</p><p>“I know. I was teasing.” She marveled at the way his face changed color. “Look, dear. Tetsu is blushing.”</p><p>Kuroo knew that relationships weren’t drama-free. The intensity of passion and desire made things all the more emotionally charged. When you fought, it crushed him. It shattered him. He finally understood what heartbreak felt like and part of him wished he never experienced love at all. He felt guilty for having spent so much time with Aiko. He was devastated that he’d seen – with his own eyes – evidence that you were on more-than friendly terms with your teacher. He fell into an endless pit of despair, barely making it to class and even getting detention for how unfocused he was.</p><p>When things were resolved, he felt whole again. Even if part of him was ashamed that he ever doubted your feelings for him. You constantly questioned where you stood and whether your relationship was genuine. He supposed it should have frustrated him more, but the truth was, he felt the same. He just never voiced it.</p><p>Kuroo was aware of the guys that popped up in your life.</p><p>He saw the easy friendship you’d forged with Bokuto.</p><p>
  <em>“Your girlfriend is SO PRETTY and CUTE and NICE and PRETTY. I hope I can date someone like her someday!”</em>
</p><p>He was aware of Minoru’s gentlemanly charms.</p><p>
  <em>“You don’t want to get your shoes muddy. Just hop on my back! I promise I won’t drop you, okay?”</em>
</p><p>He recognized the mutual respect you shared with Akaashi.</p><p>
  <em>“I enjoy spending time with her, if that’s what you’re asking.”</em>
</p><p>He even noticed Kenma’s lingering stare at times.</p><p>
  <em>“It’s good to see her smile again.”</em>
</p><p>Part of him wondered if he deserved you at all. He told himself that he didn’t have the same strengths they did. He hid those ugly feelings behind sarcastic quips and half-smiles. He swallowed his burning jealousy because he knew it would only wedge more distance between you.</p><p>He stared at himself in the mirror and cursed at himself for being so pathetic sometimes. “Don’t be a dick,” he told his reflection. “She says she cares about you, she loves you, so don’t sit there and make her feel worse.”</p><p>He was good at keeping the truth hidden under the surface. As much confidence and bravado he presented to the world, inside he still had moments of low self-esteem. He wanted to close the distance between you. How could he when he saw you stepping forward without him?</p><p>He felt closer to you than ever. That moment you shared after making up where you effortlessly drew an orgasm out of him put him in a new place entirely. He lusted after you beforehand, sure, but this was what intimacy was. He was vulnerable underneath you. He was exposed. At the time, it was surreal. He gave himself over to you, entrusted himself into your (more than) capable hands, and went to pieces before your very eyes.</p><p>Did he <em>want</em> to go further than that? Abso-fucking-lutely.</p><p>Was he <em>ready</em> to? HELL NO.</p><p>It wasn’t that he was scared of how you would react to him naked. He was fine with the way he looked. You expressed repeatedly how attracted you were to him. He didn’t miss the way your fingers lingered on the swell of his arms, the slope of his neck and the way you traced down his abdomen.</p><p>He was worried about you and your needs. He could tell you until his breath ran out that he loved your body. It didn’t change the fact that you weren’t comfortable in your own skin. He’d seen you retreat time and time again into the bagginess of clothes. You shrank away from certain places he’d touch, especially the swell of your stomach that he wanted nothing more than to squeeze and stroke to revel in its softness.</p><p>Even if you said you were ready to take the next step, he really doubted it. He didn’t want your first time to be tainted by emotional overload, crying, or any other kind of meltdown. That and he still wasn’t sure that he would be any good. In his daydreams he was smooth and experienced, but the reality of performing caused him immense anxiety.</p><p>That was why he rebuffed your advances on the night of his birthday. He saw that look in your eyes and he panicked. He didn’t want it to be a spur of the moment thing. He wanted it to be something that you discussed at length so you both knew what you were getting into.</p><p>He was crushed when you came clean about the news of your departure to America. He thought he would get a handle on these feelings of his, especially since the fiasco with Aiko had been resolved. Now he had to face the fact that yet again, even after all this time spent waiting and working around your schedules, you were split apart.</p><p>“So…yeah, it sucks, and yeah, it’s going to be hard. I won’t lie. But I’m not gonna let this stand in our way. Are you?”</p><p>He had to swallow his tears when he gave that convincing speech. You always knew exactly how to hurt him without even trying.</p><p>“Be strong, dude,” he told himself as the weeks passed and the calendar pages were torn off one by one. “It’s a year. It’s just a year. Nothing’s gonna happen. We can video chat and call each other, just like we did when we were kids.”</p><p>The holidays came and went. The end of the school year was right around the corner. Kenma was busy with entrance exams for Nekoma and Kuroo had been tutoring him on the side with your help. Months turned to weeks. Weeks turned to days. The countdown hovered over him at every turn, a giant alarm that threatened to go off at any moment.</p><p>“What are you doing for your anniversary?”</p><p>Kuroo sighed. “I don’t even know. I don’t know what she wants. Do I go all out? If I take her somewhere crowded, what if she starts crying again?”</p><p>Kenma hummed and closed his notebook, signaling the end of their study session. “It’s about having fun and celebrating your relationship. It doesn’t have to be big. That might make her feel like it’s another goodbye.”</p><p>“Yeah…I get you.” He flopped backwards onto Kenma’s bed and stared at the familiar ceiling. As kids he used to talk his way into sleeping over so he didn’t have to go home. “But if I make it too casual, she might get kind of upset about it. It’s a big deal, right? A year.”</p><p>“Does it feel like it’s been that long?”</p><p>Kuroo shook his head. “No, it doesn’t.”</p><p>“Then the next one won’t, either.” Kenma shot him a reassuring smile. “If you want, I can try to ask her so you get a better idea.”</p><p>“I’d definitely trust you over Bokuto. He would probably just shout at her that I wanted to know.” Kuroo was thoroughly amused at the image his mind conjured up. He was grateful that you’d given him the push he needed to open himself up to other guys at training camp. Bokuto was fun to hang around with and he was able to goof around more when they did. “Alright. I think I’ve got a plan.”</p><p>Kuroo didn’t consider himself a romantic kind of guy. He didn’t spend his days thinking about sweet gestures or words. He was more of an expert at hiding his heartfelt feelings behind some well-meaning snark. His relationship with you succeeded with that dynamic. You kept up with his jokes and fired off some of your own so he never felt like he had to censor himself.</p><p>This was out of his element. Maybe someone like Minoru or Akaashi could’ve come up with something a lot better than what he did. He could research all he wanted and still he felt like it wasn’t good enough.</p><p>He smoothed down his shirt and struggled to button the ends of his sleeves. His grandmother passed by and helped him with a knowing smile on her face. He really hated dressing up. His uniform was fine since he’d gotten used to it, but this outfit didn’t feel like him at all.</p><p>“You’re very handsome,” his grandmother complimented him as he lingered at the doorway. He was ready to head over to your place, but he didn’t want to be too early. He had miscalculated how much time it would take to get ready and now had at least twenty minutes to kill. He opted to waste it by shifting from foot to foot at the front door. “She’s a lucky girl.”</p><p>“Don’t you have a chaperone?” His grandfather eyed him suspiciously. “I can grab my coat.”</p><p>“Oh, stop.” She whacked her husband on the shoulder, causing him to wince out of genuine pain. “He’s a good boy and she’s a very sweet girl. We’ve raised Tetsurou to be a gentleman, haven’t we?”</p><p>Kuroo wondered about that. He really didn’t want his family finding out that he had been spending nights at his girlfriend’s place, in your bed with nothing but thin pajamas between you.</p><p>“Gotta go.” He opened the door and put his shoes on, dodging outside before they could drill him again about his plans.</p><p>The walk to your house seemed to take longer than usual. He felt the weight of his gift sitting in the pocket of his winter coat. Why did you have to start dating in the middle of winter, of all things? He had wracked his brain about where to take you so you would be warm and cozy.</p><p>He hesitated at the front door. Normally he would just barge in and he wasn’t even sure what kept him from going for it. He supposed it was just nerves. He turned the knob, slipping into the welcome warmth and abandoning the sharp cold from outside.</p><p>“I’m home,” he called out. “You ready yet?”</p><p>You huffed and stuck your head around the corner of the wall that led to your room. “You’re early.”</p><p>“Couldn’t help it. I was hoping to catch you naked,” he joked.</p><p>“Tough break.” You disappeared and he could hear your gentle laughter trailing down the hallway. “Not much to look at, anyways!”</p><p>He rolled his eyes. He understood why you perceived your body the way you did. It didn’t make it any easier to swallow. He leaned up against the back of the couch. His gut churned. This was supposed to be a fun night and he had been looking forward to it. It didn’t help that there was this feeling that something would go wrong.</p><p>“Alriiight.” You stepped out and made a beeline for him. He bent down without you even having to ask and he savored the plush feeling of your lips against his. When you broke away, he found his hand reaching out to the space where your waist had been. “I’m good to go. Did you want to use the bathroom or something?”</p><p>“Nope.” He opened the door and held it for you, earning a quirk of your brow. “What?”</p><p>“So chivalrous…” you teased him. “Is this really <em>my</em> Tetsurou?”</p><p>He’d been yours the moment you came back from the corner store and spent your allowance on a new ball. “Guess you’ll just have to put me to the test and find out.”</p><p>He was surprised yet reassured when you hooked your arm around his instead of reaching for his hand. This way you could share your warmth while heading down to the train station. He snuck a peek at you every now and then. He trailed over each delicate feature and tried to memorize it all.</p><p>Dinner was first and he wanted to get it out of the way. He made a reservation two weeks in advance because he didn’t want another fuck-up like your first Valentine’s Day together when you had to spend your time at a fast-food joint.</p><p>You peered inside the window and saw all of the upscale looking couples inside. “Are you sure this is the right place? I feel like I’m underdressed.”</p><p>He smirked. He should’ve known your first thought would be how nervous you were about how you appeared to other people. “Don’t worry about it, I’ve been saving up. Besides, this place has tons of good reviews. You’ll see.”</p><p>He sidled up to the counter and gave his name. You were led to a booth far removed from the other people in the restaurant. It had the cozy, relaxed atmosphere that one would expect from a serious date. Everything went smoothly. Well, up until he fumbled when he went to open up the cloth filled with silverware, nearly knocking it all over the ground.</p><p>“I’m so glad that you decided against the teppanyaki. I get so stressed out when those chefs try to ‘engage’ the audience or whatever. Remember that one dude? He kept insisting that Kenma should try to catch that piece of shrimp in his mouth and it ended up hitting him in the face. I wanted to throw it back at him when he started laughing. I swear, it’s like a form of torture and some of these weirdoes willingly go with it…”</p><p>Kuroo always thought it was hilarious when you went on rants like this. He listened of course, but his primary focus was the full range of expressions on your face. People tended to assume you were unpleasant because you had a neutral (“resting bitch”) face. When you let your guard down in front of him, it only showed him how much you trusted him.</p><p>“Whaaat! They have samplers! Hey, what’re you getting?”</p><p>He did order the samplers. Well, two of them, considering the sizable appetite between you. You sipped away at your drinks and engaged in frivolous conversation. He grinned when he got a gigglesnort out of you, one that caused several other people in the restaurant to give you an annoyed look. He really liked the way that the candlelight softened your features. It only made you look all the more enticing.</p><p>“I was actually kinda nervous having dinner here, but I’m having fun.” You had already taken a sneaky glance at the dessert menu. “Plus, the portions here are decent. I was expecting to be hungry by the time we left.”</p><p>“C’mon, I know you better than that.” He snickered. “Food is important. Always has been.”</p><p>“Yeah. It is to you, too. You’re always fun to look at when we have meals together. Especially when I make them.”</p><p>Kuroo’s eyes dropped down to his hands and he ran a finger down the glass damp with condensation. “Well, I never really got homecooked meals when I was a kid.”</p><p>“Because your mom passed away?”</p><p>He nodded. “I got used to eating junk. When I went to Kenma’s house, I used to clear off what he didn’t finish on his plate. Worked for me since he didn’t have much of an appetite in the first place. Then we spent time with your family, and I got to see what it was like to have a bunch of stuff always in the fridge or on the table.”</p><p>You placed a hand on your chin and leaned on the table, unbothered that it technically wasn’t polite to do so. “That why you always get so excited when I cook you stuff?”</p><p>He hadn’t realized that was the case. It made sense. “Guess so. You’re a good cook.”</p><p>“Well, I like cooking for you, for the record. I wouldn’t do it otherwise.” You tilted your head. He felt his throat close up with how your eyes glittered, the flames from the nearby candles dancing in your pupils. “And don’t even think of using the ‘I want to eat your cooking for the rest of my life!’ line. You’re better than that.”</p><p>“Damn. You saw right through me.” He downed the last of his water in an effort to reduce the ruddiness in his complexion.</p><p>You and Kuroo headed to the front so you could pay the bill. The hostess waited for him to pull his wallet out.</p><p>Except…it wasn’t there.</p><p>Oh shit, oh shit. Don’t panic. Kuroo patted his right pocket, then his left. He reached inside his jacket. His gift was there still. Where in the hell was his wallet? He could’ve sworn that he grabbed it. He felt the collar of his shirt get tighter. The woman ahead of him stared pointedly, a frown already marring her face. He gave her a sheepish grin and continued to dig around.</p><p>“Did you forget your wallet?”</p><p>He stepped off before he could answer you and called the house. Thankfully, his grandmother was the one who answered.</p><p>“Hey, did I leave my wallet there?”</p><p>He heard her shuffle around and she went to the front door where he often left his keys. “Yes, dear, it’s here. Oh no! Do you need me to come and drop it off?”</p><p>“No, that’s…uh, fine.” He said his quick goodbyes and approached you with an apologetic look. “I forgot my wallet. Just wait here and I’ll run back home to grab it.”</p><p>You sighed. “That’s a long ride there and back. Let me just pay for it. I was going to halve it with you, anyway.”</p><p>He was sure Minoru wouldn’t let him hear the end of it if this ever got out. “But—”</p><p>“It’s cool. It’s <em>our</em> anniversary. I should be responsible for something. Besides, I was the one who ate the most.” You grinned and slid your debit card over to the woman, who waited for you to show her your ID before she even ran it.</p><p>Kuroo cursed himself as you left. Well…fuck. He didn’t want to drag you all the way home. There wouldn’t be enough time for the rest of what he had planned.</p><p>“You can pay me back if you’re that worried about it.” You put a hand on his shoulder and pressed down on it gently. He bent at the waist and welcomed the warmth of the kiss on his cheek. “I need to walk off the meal, so let’s go!”</p><p>If you were hurting, you didn’t show him. He wasn’t sure if he should be worried. He didn’t want his own concerns to make the date more complicated than it needed to be.</p><p>Kuroo gripped your hand before you could protest, taking the lead as he weaved you through the crowds. You would catch another train and he wanted to make sure that you made to your next destination with plenty of time.</p><p>You stood next to Kuroo in the train car. You were always wary of your size and making sure people around you had enough room. As more people piled on, he found himself pushing you up against the wall. Normally he wouldn’t have done it, but tonight he couldn’t resist. That and the dress you wore was cute enough that he didn’t want any perverts trying to sneak a hand underneath it.</p><p>You gazed up at him. “Enjoying yourself?”</p><p>“I’ve got the best view,” he retorted, clearly zeroing in on your cleavage. “I’m the only thing you need to look at, anyway.”</p><p>“So much confidence. Spare me some.”</p><p>Although it was the dead of winter, the amusement park was open for business. They had modified things to make up for the cold. The place was strung up with a myriad of multicolored LED lights, all of them wrapped around every inch of the attractions. The bodies packed there generated enough body heat to make the weather bearable, too.</p><p>The distant screams on the track winding above you made you pause. “Don’t tell me we’re riding a rollercoaster. Not unless you want me to throw up.”</p><p>“I mean, it would be awesome if that happened. No one here has an umbrella.”</p><p>“You’re awful.” You still laughed along with him. “I’d be afraid of getting on. Those seats aren’t exactly big and the last thing I’d want is to get kicked off a ride because of it.”</p><p>He hadn’t considered that at all. He shied away from the possibility of forcing you on the coaster, then. “Let’s take a look around.”</p><p>You’d always been mindful of showing affection in public. The incident at New Year’s further made you hyperaware of where you were and who might be watching. Kuroo didn’t have the energy to care, though. You were surrounded by strangers. You would likely never see any of these people again, so why bother in trying to cater to their expectations of what was “proper” between the two of you?</p><p>He took your hand and you accepted it. You huddled together while marveling at the different landmarks in the area. There were illuminated bridges and trees which shimmered and led you throughout the park. While a little gaudy to some, it did portray a little bit of magic that had kids of all ages crying out in delight.</p><p>You and Kuroo stopped near one of the kiddie rides. Each child was seated in their own little rocket ship that spun in circle. He saw the hint of a smile on your lips when you surveyed one elderly couple helping their grandchild get seated.</p><p>“You would totally be the old guy who still thinks he’s charming even though he scares girls away,” you giggled, your hands curled along the railing as you leaned forward. “You’d flirt with anyone you could. Waitresses, hostesses, maybe even the cute neighbor girl across the street. You’d say something like, ‘I still got it!’ And your grandkids would be like, ‘What? Since when did you ever <em>have</em> it, grandpa?’”</p><p>Kuroo grabbed your hair and tugged on it, earning a cry from you in response. “You’d be the crabby old lady who has all the kids in the neighborhood terrified. They’d have all kinds of stories about how you’re a thousand years old and eat kids or something. They’d knock on your door then run screaming when you went to answer it.”</p><p>“You suck!” You doubled over with laughter. “I’d only be that way because I’d have my hands full trying to keep <em>you</em> from getting arrested for harassing women at the grocery store.”</p><p>“Aw, you’d put up with me for that long?” He couldn’t lie, the casualness of you mentioning a future together sent his heart skittering in his chest. “I’ll make it worth your while.”</p><p>“Mmhmm. Sure.” You glanced at him from the corner of your eye. “I’ll hold you to that.”</p><p>He still felt guilty that he left his money at home, especially when you came across a cotton candy stand. It was cute how excited you were to try it, mostly because it came on a soft pink light stick. You offered it to him so he could take a bite. He somehow got some of it in his hair when he bent down, and you made fun of him while you cleaned him up.</p><p>He went for something safe: the Ferris wheel. The cars were big enough for you to comfortably sit together and you would get a grand view of the entire city. He knew it was cliché, but he couldn’t be bothered to care. He just wanted to keep that smile on your face. It hadn’t disappeared the entire night and he was a guy who liked to keep up a winning streak.</p><p>Your turn in line finally came and when you stepped into the car it swayed side to side. He attempted to sit on the same bench as you, but you insisted that it was probably better for him to start off across the way just in case.</p><p>You were lifted off the ground as the operator filled the car below you. You were already glued to the window and marveling at everything outside.</p><p>With a loud groan, the wheel shifted and went into motion. The pace was slow and steady. You and Kuroo peered down together as you reached the top. Everything looked so insignificant from where you were. The crowds of people morphed into dark specks that settled in the midst of the flashing lights.</p><p>“It’s really pretty,” you murmured. “Thanks for taking me up here.”</p><p>“I figured you’d like it.” He was glad his instincts were right. “Hey, I was gonna wait until a little later, but d’you mind if I give you your present now?”</p><p>You peeled yourself away from the glass and cocked your head. “You brought it with you?”</p><p>“Yep.” He reached into his pocket and fished out the box, holding it out to you. “You already gave me yours, so I didn’t want to make you wait any more.”</p><p>Your gift to him was a scrapbook you’d pieced together with the girls. Even though you threw a fit at having your picture taken, you’d compiled a great deal of them, printed them off and arranged them neatly. It showed the gradual progression of your relationship. Silly ones as kids with your tongues sticking out and peace signs thrown up. Your awkward junior high years where you both looked as uncomfortable as the other. Even the present, with your friends in the background as you celebrated and spent time together. Those were his favorites: the pictures where he was looking at you or you were looking at him. You had the same emotion written in your eyes, even when someone snapped one of you in a (not-so) secretive kiss.</p><p>“If this is something like ‘the key to your heart’, I will never let you live it down.” Despite your mocking words, he knew it was just a way for you to hide how embarrassed you were. “Here goes.”</p><p>The ribbon came undone and you pushed the lid of the box off to the side. It was obvious it was some kind of jewelry, though you had no idea what kind. You gazed at the velvet lining and drank in the appearance of the silver chain nestled within its confines. The heart-shaped locket glistened from the residual color of the lights outside.</p><p>“Is this for real?” you asked him, your voice wavering. “Tetsurou, you really shouldn’t have, I mean like, this looks super expensive—”</p><p>Without letting you finish your attempt to rationalize why you didn’t deserve such a gift, he leaned forward and plucked it out. He pressed the button on the side and opened it up for you to see. On the left-hand side was a picture of your grandmother. You’d never even seen it before. You realized Kuroo must have been the one to take it. On the right was a photo of you and Kuroo. It was very recent. Your nose was wrinkled mid-laugh and Kuroo had on that cheesy grin of his. It was clear to see that there was nothing but affection between you.</p><p>“I guess we both had kinda the same idea,” he chuckled weakly. “Bokuto tried to tell me a ring would’ve been better, and I was like, man, do you know how annoying that’s going to be when she has to explain it to everyone she comes across?”</p><p>You bit down on your lower lip to suppress your smile. “Can you put it on?”</p><p>“Sure.” He stood up and slid over to the seat next to you. Contrary to your fears about the weight imbalance, the car barely wobbled when he plopped down.</p><p>You angled yourself so he had full access to your neck, pushing away any rebellious strands of hair that might’ve snagged onto the chain. He clicked it shut without much difficulty at all. He picked a longer chain on purpose so it wouldn’t fit too snugly. When he drew back, and you turned to face him, the sight of it resting so comfortably on your chest was enough to make him sigh in relief.</p><p>“I love it. I do.” You took his head in both hands and rained kisses along his face, starting with his cheeks and ending on his lips. “And I love you.”</p><p>He smiled against you and went into a better angle so he could turn it into an open-mouthed kiss. He concentrated hard on the taste of you, the way your tongue slipped along his, the smack of your lips and the way your hand gripped at his chest. His thoughts were filled of you and only you, just as it always was when you did this. He pulled you even closer until your bodies were flush together. He eased into that molten pool of desire and faded away until the only thing left was his ability to say your name.</p><p>A love-drunk blush reached the tips of his ears when you got off the ride. The park would be closing soon and it was time to go home. The trek back to your house was met with comfortable silence and feathery touches here and there. His pace next to you felt dreamlike almost, his body light and airy, still high and reeling from the kisses you shared moments before.</p><p>“I wish you could spend the night,” you lamented. “I really don’t want you to go.”</p><p>“Same here.” His family was expecting him. He had commitments for tomorrow morning with them. If he stayed out, they would know he was with you. He wasn’t trying to get grounded for the remainder of the time you had in Japan. “I’ll text you when I get home.”</p><p>You looked like you wanted to say something, so he paused. “I just…” Your shoulders drooped. “I wish that we could…you know.”</p><p>He caught the innuendo immediately. “Do you really want to? Or do you just think we should because we’re supposed to?”</p><p>You hesitated. “It’s weird. I’m scared, but at the same time, I’m not. You feel the same way about it. You’d think it wouldn’t even be an issue. I know tons of couples who go through with it and it’s not a big deal at all.”</p><p>“We’re not other couples.” He wanted to make sure you didn’t compare yourself to anyone else. It didn’t help anyone. “Everyone’s different. If you’re not a hundred percent sure, then it’s not time. I feel the same way as you do.”</p><p>You nodded at him. “But…should we? Before I leave?”</p><p>“I don’t think so.” He wasn’t going to let one bad decision ruin something between you. “It’s not a race. It’s not something you gotta mark off on a checklist. So…” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to your forehead. “Stop stressing about it. It’ll happen when it happens.”</p><p>After a few more languid kisses, he waved and made his way back home. Your words bounced around. He knew he made the right decision in talking it over with you. If you had as many years as you said you did in the works, then there really was no rush. He was glad you didn’t take it personally.</p><p>Kuroo entered his house and kicked off his shoes. He was exhausted. He shot an accusatory glare at his wallet for betraying him. A quick shower washed away the stress of the day and he settled into the comfort of his bed. He checked his phone and responded to the goodnight text already waiting for him.</p><p>His eyes drifted to the circled date on the calendar and the reality of it crashed down hard on him. His arm shot out to squeeze his pillow tightly against his body. He curled into himself and held back the tears that had been brimming the entire night. A shaky laugh escaped him instead. Memories you shared scrolled across his vision, each one more bittersweet than the last.</p><p>“It’s just a year,” he repeated to himself in the encroaching veil of sleep. “Just a year. You can do this.”</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you can't tell already, I LOVE the relationship between Kuroo and Kenma. </p><p>To be honest, I have a best friend who I've known for twelve years and our friendship is nearly identical to theirs. I was a very anxious kid and shied away from a lot of new experiences. She was much more outgoing and ended up dragging me along with her, much to my chagrin. Despite the very different lives we lead now, we always make time to see each other. When we do it's like no time has passed at all. There's just something really, really sweet about finding someone in your life who becomes a part of your family. &lt;3</p><p>Anyways, as always, thank you SO much for all your support! Stay safe and be kind to yourselves!</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. The Plunge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's better to dive in headfirst. You'll acclimate better that way.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey y'all, this chapter has several OCs so I apologize in advance. I know it can be super confusing and boring!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Your eyes were still heavy with sleep when the alarm went off. The piercing sound equated to a death march, of sorts. You curled further into your bed and couldn’t help the anxious shudders that wracked your body. Your stomach already focused on doing flips, gut churning with every inhale of breath.</p><p>You rose from the safety of your mattress. Your fingers were numb. Your hand rested along the familiar warmth and you steeled yourself. The room seemed much more frigid than usual by the time you planted your feet on the ground. You turned your eyes toward the dresser. It was nearly empty. You laid out clothes the night before and gathering them up in your arms made you hesitate.</p><p>The house was already abuzz with activity. You weren’t the first one awake. You could smell freshly brewed coffee and the familiar sizzle of eggs. Your appetite was nonexistent. You stepped into the bathroom and locked the door behind you. Each item of clothing you discarded felt more like you were stripping away a protective layer.</p><p>Your shower was brief. You let the steam wash over you as you focused on getting ready. There was no need for makeup or any real effort. Once you were finished, you packed all of your things away and brought it back to your room. You nearly jumped out of your skin when you saw who was already in there.</p><p>“Mornin’.” Kuroo patted the spot next to him. “We’ll eat breakfast before we jet outta here. So we have some time.”</p><p>You tucked your toiletry bag into the suitcase and followed his lead. You sat side by side. It was reminiscent of the time where you confessed your feelings for him. Back then, you were so overwhelmed you could barely find the words to articulate how much you cared about him. It felt the same. After all this time by his side, it was hard to come up with a little speech that reassured him – and yourself – that your feelings wouldn’t change.</p><p>“Hey, you remember the time when Kenma was sick and the two of us went bike riding? And the tire popped on yours? I told you I needed to get back home and find gramps so he could come by and switch it out. You were scared to be alone because a group of guys walked by laughing and you thought it was because of you.”</p><p>You were a little embarrassed at the memory. “I remember, yeah.”</p><p>“I told you I’d be back, like fifteen minutes, give or take. But then gramps was in the middle of something and I had to wait. And you left your phone at home so there was no way I could get in touch with you.”</p><p>You wondered what he was getting at. “I started freaking out because we stopped somewhere I’d never been before. I wanted to go find you, but I didn’t want someone stealing Kenma’s bike since he lent it to me.”</p><p>“When I came back to get you, you ran up to me and hugged me.” He laughed. “I thought you were gonna cry. You didn’t even say anything. You just put your head on my shoulder and squeezed me so tight it felt like you were gonna snap me in half. Then my gramps ruined it by saying he finished and you let me go. I kept trying to make excuses for you to hug me again and you just blew me off.” He reached out to rest his hand on yours and shot you a grin. “My point is, you waited for me, right? I didn’t take off anywhere or forget about you. It’s always gonna be that way.”</p><p>You sighed and closed your eyes. “I know.”</p><p>Breakfast was hard to get through, only because everyone at the table was acting normal. They held their bright conversations and ignored the fact that it was two in the damn morning. You glanced across the table and locked eyes with Kenma. He gave you what was supposed to be a reassuring smile, but the apprehension tainted it far beyond recognition. You squeezed your chopsticks tight and pushed your meal around the plate.</p><p>Kuroo was the one who tossed the luggage in the back of the car. He and your dad were busy talking about anything other than what was to come. He put on a good poker face. Kenma settled into his seat in the back of the car and offered you a sip of the travel mug filled with cocoa. You took a long drink and were happy that the warmth traveled down to your belly.</p><p>The drive to the airport dragged on. Maybe it was because your mind was still hazy from lack of sleep. You purposefully stayed up late to get the most out of your time with Kuroo and Kenma and your time in bed was no more than a couple of hours at most. You wanted to be able to sleep on the plane and hoped that staving off rest would do the trick.</p><p>Strange to see the sky was still pitch black when you parked. Everything felt out of place. You went through the motions. You followed the rest of them and filed into the building, Kuroo dragging your suitcases behind you. You waited diligently while you checked in and gave over all your possessions you’d brought with you, hoping it wouldn’t be lost along the way.</p><p>“We still have a little time before you have to go through security.” Your mom placed a hand on your shoulder and ran her thumb along the ball of it to comfort you. “We could walk around for a little bit.”</p><p>You followed after them and didn’t say much of anything. It still hadn’t hit you just yet. You floated along from shop to shop, shaking your head whenever your parents offered to buy you anything to pass the time. The books on display weren’t anything that interested you. You did your best to crack a smile when Kuroo read a passage from a horrible erotica novel. Well, until some disgruntled older woman came by and snatched it out of his hands so she could buy it herself.</p><p>Minutes ticked away and you couldn’t help but steal glance after glance at the clock. You could feel the inevitable moment creep up behind you. It started off as a shadow, a whisper of a thought, but it became more tangible with every step you took. It curled around your throat and squeezed, your ability to breathe and think straight ebbing away.</p><p>You watched the long line of people ahead of you. Everyone pushed forward almost mechanically. It was the boundary between here and there. Present and future. You adjusted the straps on your backpack.</p><p>“You can do this, sweetie,” your mom reassured you. You pretended not to notice the tears in her eyes. “We’re going to miss you so much, but you’re going to have a great time.”</p><p>“They’ll take care of you. Don’t worry, we’ll check in with you every day.” Your dad put a hand on your head. The weight of it was more comfortable than you cared to admit. “Just make sure to text us when you land.”</p><p>They both stepped back and let your best friends take over. Kenma took both of your hands and transferred some of his body heat to you. You hadn’t realized you’d lost so much feeling in them until he did. He tried his best to look brave. “I’ll always be ready to talk when you need me. I’ll keep you up to date on everything, too.”</p><p>“Thank you.” The wobbly smile appeared on your face for just a moment. “I’m going to miss you so much. I can’t believe I won’t be there to see you go to Nekoma.”</p><p>“Don’t worry. You’ll be there for me next year. And before you ask, I’ll take care of Kuroo for you, too.”</p><p>He retreated off to the side. You and Kuroo were the last ones to speak to each other. He reached down and stilled your hands. You’d been picking at your cuticles out of nervousness and now they were bleeding. You mustered up the courage to tilt your chin up and gaze directly into his eyes.</p><p>It felt like you were seeing him for the first time. You were overwhelmed with all of the emotions that crashed over you like a wave. All of your confidence was swept out to a churning, stormy sea of anxiety, fear and despair. Kuroo recognized the switch almost immediately and bent down to take you into his arms, ignoring the judgmental looks from a few people who walked around you to the back of the line.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” you sobbed, your fingers hooking into the back of his shirt. You clawed at him and hoped you weren’t causing him too much physical pain. You just wanted him as close to you as possible. “I don’t want to go. It’s too much.”</p><p>“It’s okay…” Kuroo murmured, though his voice sounded strained. “Remember yesterday? Bokuto cried so hard he got dehydrated and Akaashi made him drink three bottles of water before he left. Yukie and Kaori almost set the kitchen on fire baking you a cake and nearly gave Yaku a heart attack. Then Minoru tried to teach you self-defense moves.”</p><p>“You volunteered to be the bad guy and he totally picked you up and dropped you on the ground like a sack of potatoes,” you chuckled weakly. “You got the wind knocked out of you.”</p><p>“Yeah, and Kenma took a video of the whole thing.” Kuroo refused to let you go. “Until you come back, you’re spared from the craziness. Then we’ll make up for lost time by mobbing you all at once. Take it or leave it.”</p><p>You held him for a few more seconds before stepped backwards out of his arms.</p><p>“I wanna kiss you but your parents are watching.”</p><p>“Not my problem.” You grabbed the front of his shirt and he wasted no time in meeting you halfway. It wasn’t as long as you would’ve liked, but it didn’t matter. You lost yourself in the softness of his lips and committed it to memory.</p><p>When you separated, you turned around before you could let him see your tearstained cheeks. You stepped into line and refused to look back. Even knowing they were watching the entire time, you lost yourself in the routine of putting your things on the conveyor belt and stepping through the metal detector.</p><p>You lingered for a few more seconds before you whipped around to take your last look. All four of them waved at you. Your mom blew a kiss and your dad nodded at you in pride. Kenma’s gentle smile eased the tension you held in your shoulders. Kuroo made a heart with his index finger and thumb, grinning all the while. You rounded the corner with the image still frozen in the back of your mind.</p><p>Alone with your thoughts and feelings and surrounded by strangers, boarding began almost as soon as you made it to your gate. You willed yourself to get in line and climbed aboard the plane. The recycled air was freezing and bit at your skin despite the layers you had on. You awkwardly shuffled forward to find your seat, the narrow aisles causing you to be more mindful of how much space you took up.</p><p>You exhaled in relief when you realized your row was empty still. You slid into your seat and fumbled around for the seatbelt to buckle yourself in. Your backpack was tucked safely away since you didn’t want to fight for space in the overhead bins. For a moment you were tempted to reach down and bust out the thin, strange-smelling blanket from its plastic confines. You decided against it and sat back into your seat with the hood of your sweatshirt up, angling your body toward the window so you could rest your head.</p><p>In truth, it gave you the privacy you needed to cry it out. You kept yourself quiet, of course, muffling your sniffles with your sleeve.</p><p>It got even harder to compose yourself when you readied for takeoff. You had this sharp stabbing your chest. All you could think about was Kuroo. You resigned yourself to drowning out everything by shoving your headphones in and losing yourself in the music. You separated yourself from reality until the exhaustion took over and lulled you to sleep.</p><p>The flight was twelve hours. Twelve hours of sheer torture. You woke up from time to time when the flight attendants came by to offer you drinks and food. It was so cold and being up in the air for such a long time didn’t help your stomach. Damn Yaku for being right about bringing those anti-gas pills.</p><p>It was so damn <em>boring</em>. You figured you would be so busy sleeping you wouldn’t notice, but you could only crash out for so long before your neck started getting sore. The movie selection was fine. Eventually you ran out of interesting things to watch. You glanced over and nearly everyone was crashed out. In fact, they shut the lights off in the entire cabin. You shifted in your seat and hoped that one of your seatmates would wake up soon so you could wiggle your way out and run to the bathroom.</p><p>You thought about what laid ahead of you. You would be picked up at the airport by Oaklynn’s dads. You would spend the summer with them and get a feel for the area. Mr. Dobashi said during the break he would stop by and see how things were going. He was the one that paid for everything, after all. Sometimes you wondered just how he got so loaded, but you supposed it was none of your business.</p><p>The school year was months away. You had the entire break to swallow your fears. At least it gave you time to really process your emotions and not show up to your new school on the verge of tears every five minutes. You’d never been the new girl before and you were sure it was going to be doubly traumatizing because you were an exchange student. You just hoped that you would get through your classes without any drama. You didn’t need another incident like the one with Aiko to taint your second year.</p><p>You fumbled with the locket you had tucked away in your backpack, only because you didn’t want to struggle with putting it back on after going through security. The pictures inside were like a lifeline. You didn’t stare at the pictures too long because it made you misty-eyed, but it was still a big comfort.</p><p>You were exhausted by the time the flight was over. You’d basically been running on a couple hours of sleep and nothing else. You followed everyone out and focused on the direction they were going since you didn’t know this airport very well. Stepping out of the plane, you were met with a much warmer temperature that seemed to bring some life back into your body.</p><p>You checked your phone and sent off a quick text to everyone to let them know you were okay. You didn’t even have time to respond to the rapid-fire slew of messages you received, because you heard your name being called across the way.</p><p>Seeing Oaklynn’s parents on the screen was one thing, meeting them was quite another. Her dads beamed at you and waved you over. You were surprised to see them near the baggage claim area. You were fully expecting to struggle with tugging your stuff off the carousel alone.</p><p>“You made it! Welcome to America!”</p><p>“Are you okay? Do you want something to drink? I brought you some water.”</p><p>You smiled at each of them. “I’m okay, just tired. It’s nice to meet you guys finally.”</p><p>“We’re practically family now. Don’t be shy, hon.” Oaklynn’s biological dad, Paolo, had the same amount of energy as her, it seemed like. He had jet black hair styled in a fashionable pompadour, blue eyes, stubble and a beauty mark just above his lips. He bent down and drew you up in a large hug. You froze up in his arms and almost started to panic at the sudden show of affection, not to mention his immense strength.</p><p>His husband, Marques, chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. “I think we should ease her into things before you scare her off.” He was huge. You had to crane your neck just to look up at him. He played football professionally and had since retired, but his physique said otherwise. A curly hi-top fade coupled with a well-groomed beard. His deep brown skin and light brown eyes made for a killer combo. You did notice a thin, light scar that trailed from his brow to his hairline.</p><p>“Let’s grab your luggage and get home. We can stop by a drive-thru if you’re hungry. Otherwise, we can just have something whipped up for you.”</p><p>You appreciated their kindness even if you didn’t have the energy to properly respond. “I don’t mind either way.”</p><p>“We’ll wait until we get home, then.”</p><p>You were thankful they were able to grab your luggage. They asked you the usual questions about how the flight was. You followed them to the car as they busied themselves with chatter. You knew they were trying to be considerate. You were barely able to stand up, let alone fill them in on the excitement of coming to a new country.</p><p>You were shocked when you stepped outside. You could see the heavy smog settle over the sky in the distance. Growing up in Tokyo, you were used to the congestion with traffic, people and buildings. What you weren’t prepared for was the fact that the car came around with a chauffeur.</p><p>“Thank you so much,” Paolo smiled. “I guess I should’ve taken you up on the offer to go in and grab them yourself.”</p><p>“It’s not a problem.” The man greeted you briefly before he opened the door so you could clamber inside.</p><p>The car was huge. You’d seen SUVs before, sure, but not like this. The paintjob was a stark white, void of any dirt, scratches or nicks. Inside there were three rows of seats - THREE - with a light brown leather interior that screamed BIG MONEY. Did the phrase “pearls before swine” mean something here? Yes. Yes, it did.</p><p>You sank into the very back seat and were surprised to see a bouquet of roses sitting in the chair next to you.</p><p>“Those are for you! I wanted to bring them out to you, but Marq said that it was better to keep them cool inside here. You know, so they last longer.” Paolo leaned over the side to gaze at you through his (no doubt designer) shades. “Do you like them?”</p><p>“I love them. So much. Thank you. I…” You were embarrassed at all of the attention. They were just so nice.</p><p>“Everyone buckled up?” The driver adjusted the rearview mirror. “Are we going straight home?”</p><p>“We sure are. Hon, you can sleep if you want to, it’s okay. Traffic is crazy right now, so it’ll probably take us an hour or so to get home.”</p><p>You nodded and closed your eyes. The aircon felt so nice – not like the chilly, nearly subzero temperatures of the plane. You could barely feel the ground beneath you because the drive was so smooth. The gentle scent of cologne was familiar and if you concentrated hard enough, you could pretend it was Kuroo’s. The radio turned on and the mindless pop music was the final straw before you dozed off.</p><p>The hour passed by. You stirred when your first name was called and blearily peered at the sliver of sunlight that poured in through the open door. You unbuckled your seatbelt and swung your legs around to plant them on solid ground before you stepped out completely.</p><p>You stared ahead at the house. You did a double take. A triple take. You knew your mouth had dropped open, because both of Oaklynn’s parents were chuckling at your shocked expression.</p><p>“I guess we should’ve given you a proper house tour on one of our Skype sessions.” Paolo crooked a finger at you to beckon you to follow him. “You get to choose whichever room you want. I’ll have it ready in a jiffy.”</p><p>You knew that Oaklynn was rich. She’d said little things here and there that indicated as such. She was able to take off for an entire year overseas with her parents’ paying the entire way. She mentioned going on vacations to places like the Bahamas or Tahiti. But this? You were not prepared in the slightest.</p><p>The driveway looped around the front of the property toward an entrance effectively locked tight with a towering iron gate that you’d only seen in movies. The yard was adorned with various shrubs and all sorts of flowers. You could’ve sworn you’d seen another man in the grass working with a shovel and gloves – a gardener, too?</p><p>Stepping into the foyer was an entirely different experience. The walls were crisp white, the floors were made of marble, and sparkling chandeliers hung from the ceiling. A spiral staircase off to the right led up to the second floor. You couldn’t even imagine how you would find your way around this place without getting lost. Artwork covered nearly every inch of the space. You knew just looking at them that they were the originals. There was no way they would buy a copy or print.</p><p>Across from the golden banister were family photos. Most of them were of Oaklynn. If she wanted to be a model, it showed. She was in various poses, clothing, and throughout all stages of her life she looked otherworldly. You’d never seen anyone so obsessed with their daughter before. It was like a shrine all the way up the hall!</p><p>Marques stood next to you and crossed his arms, a knowing smile on his face. He leaned down so you could hear him better. “Paolo was the one who designed everything. I know it’s a little gaudy, but if it makes him happy, I couldn’t care less about what it looks like.”</p><p>“No, I…I didn’t mean to stare, sorry.” You could feel your face get hot. “It’s really beautiful, I’ve never been anywhere like this before.”</p><p>“Well, this is your home for the next year. Don’t be shy.” He chuckled. “I know we said we’d get you something to eat first, but I can tell you’re about to collapse. Paolo didn’t know what room you might want. He kind of went overboard and spruced them all up.”</p><p>“How many rooms <em>is</em> this place?” It felt a little rude to ask.</p><p>Marques led you up the stairs and you felt nervous even just touching anything. “Eight bedrooms, ten baths. I know it seems excessive, but we have family coming in and out all of the time. Not to mention Oaklynn’s friends stop by. Some of them practically live here. We have a guest house at the back of the property. That’s where the staff lives.”</p><p>“Has it always just been you three?”</p><p>He nodded. “Actually, I bought this house during my previous marriage. Long story short, she had plans to have a big family, but it just didn’t work out between us. After we split up, I wanted to downsize but I never really got around to it. Then I met Paolo, Oaklynn was born, and we decided it would be nice to have a big place where family could come over.”</p><p>You appreciated his openness. He didn’t have to tell you the specifics, though it did give you a better understanding of everything.</p><p>At the top of the stairs were several bedrooms that spanned the long hallway. You could tell which room was Oaklynn’s. The door was decorated with tons of pictures of herself, friends, family and everything. She looked so confident. You stepped in front of the room across from hers and opened it, letting yourself in.</p><p>The room was the size of your grandma’s damn <em>house</em>. You knew it was going to have its own bathroom, you just didn’t think it would be a master-sized one. You wandered inside and marveled at the queen-sized canopy bed you would have all to yourself. Two nightstands, a few dressers, a walk-in closet, a mounted TV…you were in awe and sat down on the edge of the bed to drink it all in.</p><p>Marques lingered in the doorway and smiled at you. “I’ll keep Paolo out of your hair while you adjust. He’s kind of excitable. If you need anything, the intercom is right over there. You can buzz anyone on the keypad. And you have our cell numbers, too. I’m going to have your stuff brought in here and then you can have some privacy.”</p><p>Just like he said, the chauffeur from before dropped off your things. You unzipped your suitcase and grabbed the nearest t-shirt and boxers so you could slip into them. You made Kuroo give you a lot of his clothes and he wore them in the weeks before he left. It was comforting. You wiggled your way underneath the fresh comforter and marveled at the softness of the sheets before you passed out.</p><p>You woke up abruptly and it was the dead of night. The clock on the wall said it was 3 A.M. you tried to go back to sleep, but you were wide awake. You wandered into the bathroom and looked at yourself in the mirror. Now that you were rested, you could use a shower. Thankfully it wasn’t too hard to figure out.</p><p>With a place this big, you didn’t have to be too quiet. You turned on the lamps and set up your laptop. Marques texted you the password to the Wi-Fi, which you were thankful for. You hopped on and were glad to see that your family was online.</p><p>You hit the call button and waited. It didn’t take long before the video turned on. You were relieved to see your parents’ faces.</p><p>“Hi, sweetheart! How was the flight?”</p><p>You didn’t want them to see how you were already choked up. “It was okay. I can’t sleep.”</p><p>“It’s the jetlag. You’ll need some time to adjust. Just try your best to stay up during the day, alright?”</p><p>Yaku heard the ruckus and he was quick to interrupt. It seemed like all three of your best friends stuck around your parents’ place to check up on you before heading home. “Make sure to drink lots of water and eat something later. You should try to sleep more in a little bit after the call. I made you a playlist on YouTube for white noise if you need it.”</p><p>“Tetsurou! Kenma!” your dad called. “She’s online!”</p><p>Kuroo came into view and grinned. You mirrored his expression. “Hey. Long time no see.”</p><p>“Yeah, it feels like an eternity.” You let out a deep exhale. “I miss you guys already.”</p><p>Kenma lingered in the background and you couldn’t help but giggle. He didn’t stay there long, because Kuroo reached back and yanked him forward so you could see him clearly. Seeing their faces and their upbeat expressions was so soothing. All of the tension you’d been holding melted away.</p><p>As you talked for the next few hours, you were happy to hear about their day. It brought a sense of normality to the craziness of your life right now. You listened to their voices and if you closed your eyes, it still felt like they were in the room with you.</p><p>It got late and your parents headed off to bed. Kenma and Kuroo would go home, too. Kuroo switched to his phone so you could continue to chat.</p><p>“Ready for the new year?”</p><p>Kuroo scoffed and flopped back onto his bed, the pillows encasing him perfectly. “It’s going to be the same old shit. At least you get a few more days to chat with you. It’s going to be harder once school starts up.”</p><p>“Yeah, we’ll have to schedule stuff. I mean we can text on school days and then video chat on the weekends?”</p><p>“Nah. I think I can make it work. I’ll finish homework as soon as I can and then set aside like an hour at night before bed so we can talk. You’re lucky, you have until August before you start classes again.”</p><p>“It’s weird. I think Oaklynn mentioned that some of her friends would give me a tour of the school beforehand. I haven’t met them yet, but I’m super nervous.”</p><p>“It’s a lot, but you’ll be fine.” He turned over on his side and shot you a sleepy smile. “Not to be a party pooper or anything, but I am getting kinda sleepy. Is it cool if I keep the app up? I don’t want to hang up just yet.”</p><p>He was such a dork. “That’s fine. I’ll try, too.”</p><p>You sank back underneath the covers. You stared at each other in bed, worlds apart. He was clearly more tired than you were. His eyes drooped and his breathing evened out. You ran your eyes over his features and cursed the pixelated image for not doing him justice. You wished you could find yourself snuggled up next to him instead. This bed suddenly seemed a lot colder.</p><p>“Goodnight, Tetsurou.”</p><p>You didn’t expect a response and received none.</p><p>Morning came a lot faster than you expected. You slipped out of bed when you heard voices down the hall. You didn’t want to spend the entire day in bed, as nice as that sounded. You hated feeling so disoriented and exhausted all of the time. You hadn’t eaten in a while and breakfast sounded good, even if you had no idea what was being served.</p><p>You climbed downstairs and followed the noises until you arrived at the kitchen. It was just as grand as one would expect of a house this size. Paolo and Marques sat at the dining room table, sipping coffee and chatting with each other. You approached them with a mumbled good morning.</p><p>“Nice to see you up! What did you want for breakfast? I wasn’t sure if you wanted a traditional Japanese breakfast or something like pancakes, waffles, eggs…”</p><p>You were floored that he’d suggest the former. “Anything is good with me. I’m not picky.”</p><p>“Oh, great! Oaklynn has allergies and she’s always watching her figure, so we tend to keep it pretty routine when it comes to meals. It’s going to be so nice to eat whatever.” Paolo handed you a piece of paper and you realized it was a menu. “Check off whatever you’d like. Henrietta will make it for you.”</p><p>You glanced over to the kitchen where he nodded toward. Of course they had a freakin’ maid. You marked off all of the simplest things you could and slid them over the counter to her. She paid you no mind, aside from a friendly hello, and immediately went to work.</p><p>“I was thinking that you could spend some time with Marq and I. Visit our workplaces, that kind of thing. I’m sure keeping busy will help you stay awake.” Paolo chomped away at his French toast. “Plus, your new adviser Mr. Hinsen said he was going to stop by in a few days. I think he wanted to offer you some kind of shadowing opportunity. He teaches summer school and could use the help since his last assistant flaked out on him this year.”</p><p>Your head spun with the possibilities. “Yeah, that sounds okay to me.”</p><p>“If you’d rather take a few days off to rest, just let us know.” Marques was always quick to come to your rescue. “It’s a lot to take at once. Oaklynn’s friends wanted to stop by and meet you, too. They can be…energetic.”</p><p>“They’re typical teenagers.” Paolo paid his husband no mind. “They just like to have fun. They can be a little wild, but it might help you break out of your shell.”</p><p>You were already dreading this. You spent the rest of breakfast in silence.</p><p>Paolo and Marques were both getting ready for work. To your knowledge, Paolo was an interior designer and worked for a prestigious company whose primary clientele included A-list celebrities. Marques was an assistant football coach at one of the nearby universities. He really loved the sport, you supposed. You wondered if Kuroo ever considered playing volleyball professionally. He definitely wasn’t as gung-ho about it like Bokuto was.</p><p>“It’s been decided. You’re coming with me today!” Paolo breezed past you waiting in the foyer and stopped. He turned around and gave you a once over. “You know what? Let me make a quick call, okay?” He pulled his phone out and you could hear him speaking to what you assumed was his assistant. It sounded like he pushed his first meeting out. “We’re going to take a detour. What you’re wearing is lovely, but we’re going to be meeting with some rather difficult clients today, so let’s get you in something even better!”</p><p>You were embarrassed at your clothing choice. You hadn’t brought anything super fancy with you. You followed him out the door and stuck close by his side.</p><p>You recorded a lot of the scenery from the drive so you could send it off to your friends and family. They made you promise to take a lot of pictures. You were still willing yourself to turn the camera on you.</p><p>Despite it being a weekday, plenty of people were out shopping. You stepped out with Paolo as he adjusted his shades to rest atop his head. He glanced down at his phone and started off in the opposite direction you were facing.</p><p>“So, give me details,” he chuckled when you entered the store. You stiffened when you saw the employee straighten up. It looked like she recognized him. “How long have you and your boyfriend been together again?”</p><p>“Oh…a year now, actually.”</p><p>“That is so cute. That’s a long time for such a young couple. I think Oaklynn could learn a thing or two from you. She’s always bringing home boys. She gets bored of them pretty easily, I think. But it goes both ways.” He was quick to bring over the woman who was managing the boutique. “What size are you?”</p><p>You were embarrassed to say. “I…um…I don’t know if we’ll be able to find anything…”</p><p>Without waiting for your permission, the woman grabbed a tape measure and forced you to spread your arms out. You watched in horror as she took your measurements. Paolo was off doing his own thing and rifling through several racks of clothing with disinterest. When the woman stepped back, she looped the tape measure around her neck.</p><p>“Right this way.”</p><p>You didn’t even have a chance to voice your opinion. Paolo had a certain idea in his head about what he wanted you to wear. You were shoved into the dressing room with heaps of clothes to try on. One of the attendants offered to help, but that was far too much for you. You weakly rejected her and went to dress yourself.</p><p>You knew that part of the problem was that you were still disoriented from the long trip. You didn’t have much fight in you. You stepped out with every outfit and went back in when you were told. You tried on skirts, tops, dresses, blazers and slacks.</p><p>“Ooh, I love this one! Very chic.” Paolo spun you around to look in the mirror. “Peplum top, pencil skirt, heels. This color looks great with your skin. Okay, we’ll get this and bag the others for later. We should hurry, my next meeting is in an hour.”</p><p>You followed him the rest of the day in a daze. He spoke fast and his mouth barely kept up with his jumping thoughts. You chased after him and tried to make a good impression. He blabbed the entire time about some of the same topics: Oaklynn, his husband, work, and the newest season of his favorite reality TV show.</p><p>You weren’t too well-versed on celebrities and you didn’t want to make a big show about his client. You tried to be as respectful as possible while also admiring their home. Everyone in this area lived the high life. Paolo was charming and kept the conversation flowing. The woman’s eyes sparkled when he described his ideas and he even managed to get her husband laughing along. You busied yourself with playing with a couple of toy poodles that ran around your feet.</p><p>To say you were in culture shock was an understatement. You were used to your grandma’s house, your friends and you hanging out at the park and our houses. You loved the familiarity of your city. But here? Everywhere you looked, beautiful people crossed your path. It was a sea of perfection and you never felt so alone. It didn’t help even knowing that most of these people hadn’t achieved such things naturally, and in fact had the money to go under the knife for it.</p><p>Paolo treated you to lunch. You were thankful you stopped by a family restaurant and not a bistro or something. He ordered a huge burger and held out a hand before he dove in.</p><p>“Don’t tell Marques, okay? This is our little secret.”</p><p>You giggled. “Promise. Thank you for today, by the way. For the clothes and shoes, for lunch. Your job is really stressful.”</p><p>“Oh, it’s not so bad once you get used to it.” You were a little surprised to see he’d ordered a margarita even though it was the middle of the day. He downed his drink in nearly one go and ordered another. “I was going to say…I know you’re dating someone right now, but you should always keep your eyes peeled! There are a lot of very handsome guys who live around here. It doesn't hurt to look. After all, I’m sure your boyfriend is thinking the same thing.”</p><p>His words stung a little bit. You knew he didn’t mean anything by it; he was used to his daughter hooking up with guys all of the time. From what he told you, she even had several guys interested in her at once and they didn’t seem to care. You couldn’t wrap your head around it.</p><p>“Uh…thanks, but I’m a one-man type of girl,” you told him lightheartedly. “I don't think I have any room in my head for anyone else.”</p><p>“That’s sweet. You two are like old souls. Not much of that line of thinking these days.” He handed over his card without even glancing at the check. “Do you want some dessert? There is this gelato place down the street and I’m <em>positive</em> you’re going to love it.”</p><p>By late afternoon you were dragging. You could barely keep your eyes open. You wanted to lie down in the car, but Paolo forced you to accompany him all the way up until his last client, which lasted until seven o’ clock. You got home an hour later and, after grabbing a bite to eat, you trudged up to your room so you could check in with everyone.</p><p>“I got super pissed off today because of something Oaklynn’s dad said,” you confessed. “He basically told me I shouldn’t be tied down and play the field out here. It was super messed up. I wonder if that’s like, a thing? I don’t know, he made it seem like it was weird that we decided not to break up over something like this.”</p><p>Kuroo scoffed. “A lot of people wouldn’t be able to do it, but we do because we’re serious about each other. I wouldn’t take it to heart. You guys are still feeling each other out. Did you take any pictures of the stuff he made you try on?”</p><p>“No. But he did.” You were a little hesitant to ask for them. “If you really want to see them, I guess I could ask. It was so awkward.”</p><p>“I totally want ‘em. I bet you looked so stiff,” he teased. “Are you sure you’re not the protag of some kind of rom-com? You being whisked away and treated like a princess to a country overseas sounds like exactly the kind of movie I would fall asleep to.”</p><p>“Says the guy who begged me to go with him to see <em>I Give My First Love to You</em>.”</p><p>“Hey…that movie was actually legit. Besides, it was me trying to see whether you liked the idea of dating a guy you’d known since you were kids.”</p><p>“Yeah, and it was super fucking sad! That dude had a heart condition and they promised to get married to each other even though he wasn’t expected to live past twenty! Why the hell would you show me that and think it would convince me to date you?!”</p><p>Kuroo busted out laughing and you followed suit. It was so easy to do so with him. You remembered trying so hard not to cry in the theater. You later pushed him when you walked outside and demanded why he brought you along to watch something so heartbreaking. You were particularly livid about the ending.</p><p>“I’m pretty sure I have a permanent bruise from when you shoved me, I fell off the curb and hit my shoulder on the pavement.”</p><p>“Oh, shut up. You did not.” You let out a huge sigh. “I wish we could watch movies together now.”</p><p>“Hey, Kenma said that we could always stream something and screen share. We could have like…date nights.” He adjusted the webcam on his computer. “At least then I’ll be spared from you getting up from the couch and farting in my face.”</p><p>“DUDE. That happened <em>one time!</em>” You cracked up at the memory. He had been so offended. When you realized what you’d done, you’d dropped to your knees laughing. “That’s what you get. Next time don’t stare so much at my butt, you perv.”</p><p>“Now that’s just asking the impossible.”</p><p>Talking with Kuroo gave you a lot of comfort. Any stress from the day melted away. It had always been that way, even when the both of you lived across the city from one another when you were kids. You were on the same wavelength. You had a similar sense of humor and always had fun, even if you were shooting the shit. You could talk for hours about nothing or even just sit in silence, doing our own thing, yet still gaining something positive from it. You were happy to know that hadn’t changed even in the past few days.</p><p>Just like the night before, you talked until you got so drowsy that you fell asleep in the middle of your conversation. You left your video on without even thinking about it. You should’ve said goodnight or something, but you didn’t have the energy to. You knew he wouldn’t mind.</p><p>One day down, three hundred and seventy to go.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm still trying to keep this story interesting with this "overseas arc" because I know there isn't going to be as much interaction between you and Kuroo. I want to keep you entertained while also expanding on the experiences during the year you're apart. </p><p><b>Please</b> let me know if you would rather I keep this arc shorter to get back to your relationship ASAP! I can definitely do that. I don't want to bore anyone with OCs and situations that don't even feature Kuroo.</p><p>As always, thanks for stopping by and reading. See you guys next week! &lt;3</p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Culture Shock</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You and Kuroo both do your best to adjust to life without each other.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank y'all for responding to my question about the length of this "arc" in my last chapter. I'm keeping you in mind as I continue working on this fic. :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kuroo’s days after you left were pretty routine. Despite the dull ache that he carried with him every day, he tried to find distractions. He had plenty of friends and activities to do so. On top of school, volleyball and his family commitments, there really wasn’t much downtime for him to truly consider how lonely he felt.</p><p>The first week had been the worst, only because the change was so sudden. You weren’t there to accompany him and Kenma on the bus ride to school in the mornings. He no longer had to worry about rushing to the campus down the street to make sure he made it on time to pick you up. His lunches went from homemade to store bought. It <em>really</em> didn’t taste the same.</p><p>Your texts weren’t as frequent due to the time difference. He woke up and fired off a few messages and you were able to answer some of them before heading off to bed. Because you didn’t want to distract him too much at school, you refrained from spamming him when he was in class. He’d already gotten a lecture from his homeroom teacher about it twice before Kenma snitched on him to you.</p><p>Kuroo leapt into the air and beat down another would-be point from his new teammate. First years in the team meant that the flow from before had been disrupted. Everyone would have to get to know each other all over again and learn to work with their unique advantages and disadvantages. Thankfully, Kenma was playing on the same court as he was. They knew each other well enough that that already gave the team a much-needed boost in skill.</p><p>“Damn it!” one of the newbies howled. He threw Kuroo a ferocious glare and got back into position. “I’m gonna make this next one, you just watch!”</p><p>“Less talk, more action, Yamamoto,” Yaku snapped. “You haven’t made a single point all practice.”</p><p>“How am I supposed to score when Kozume isn’t pulling his own weight?! His tosses to me are shit and you know it!”</p><p>Kuroo shook his head and sighed. He was really glad he wasn’t in charge of everyone right now. You’d mentioned to him before that he would make a good team captain. He’d played it off as you just admitting you had a thing for authoritative men. In response, you gave him a halfhearted punch on the shoulder. He didn’t mind the idea for the most part, but this? It was so counterproductive.</p><p>“Alright, knock it off!” the team captain yelled, red in the face. “Take a walk, Yamamoto!”</p><p>They were given a brief break to hydrate and rest before their next practice game with each other. Kuroo grabbed a spare water bottle from his bag and took it outside. Sure enough, Taketora was perched on the steps leading up to the gym doors. He had his legs drawn up and his brows were furrowed so low it was possible he wasn’t seeing anything at all.</p><p>“Hey.” Kuroo took a seat next to him without waiting for an invitation. “Here.”</p><p>Taketora looked like he wanted to refuse it, but eventually acquiesced. He gulped down the water and wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket.</p><p>“He just pisses me off,” he admitted, earning Kuroo’s full attention. “He’s daydreaming all of the damn time. I put in the work and time and he treats it like it’s just a pain in the ass. Why keep playing if you’re not even into it?”</p><p>Kuroo knew that defending Kenma wouldn’t be helpful at all. Instead, he let his teammate rant. The two of them didn’t see eye to eye and things were tense. They would have to hash it out sooner rather than later. Kuroo would make sure it didn’t go too far if it came to that, of course. He didn’t know Taketora that well just yet, but he could see a lot of potential in him.</p><p>“You know what would at least make this a little better?”</p><p>“What’s that?”</p><p>“A female manager.”</p><p>Kuroo scoffed and thought he was joking, but the look on his face said otherwise. “Dude.”</p><p>“Hear me out! It’s good for team building! Imagine if we had a cute girl to look at while we play? Someone who would take care of us! Lots of other teams have one, so why don’t we?”</p><p>Kuroo didn’t want to put it out there, but a couple of girls had intended to ask for the position. Except…when they saw Taketora, they practically jetted out of the gym because of how “scary” they found him. He withheld his laughter and shrugged his shoulders noncommittally.</p><p>“Ah, why am I even talking with you? You have a girlfriend.” Taketora sighed in exasperation. “You just don’t get it.”</p><p>Honestly, Kuroo was thankful that no one had joined up. He wasn’t interested in entertaining other girls. They had a female manager a couple of years before. She ended up dating one of the club members, the breakup was messy, and it was just a bad experience all around. It wasn’t an official rule banning girls from the club, but every prospective one was thoroughly vetted by his upperclassmen. Now they basically had repellant in the form of an all-too enthusiastic boy who looked like he got into fights after school for fun.</p><p>Kuroo stood up and helped him to his feet. “Well, we’ll get more attention from everyone at school, including the girls, if we kick everyone’s asses at the games this year. So let’s practice.”</p><p>He grinned. “Hell yeah!”</p><p>When practice ended, Kuroo and Kenma headed to the bus stop together as usual. He finally got around to checking his phone. You would be dead asleep by now, but he still gave a status update about his day and how he couldn’t wait to see you this weekend for your scheduled video chat.</p><p>“I think she finally got her inner clock adjusted,” Kuroo chuckled as he showed Kenma a few pictures of you out to dinner at some kind of drag show. It looked like you were having a good time based on the candid shots that they took of you. “Think she’ll dump me for a guy who can wear matching heels with her?”</p><p>Kenma shook his head with a smile. “I don’t think she’s what they’re looking for.”</p><p>“Hey, you never know!” Kuroo sent a slew of emojis and felt a lot lighter than he had moments before. He was relieved that Oaklynn’s parents had taken the exchange student thing in stride. His biggest worry was that you would be miserable because you were lonely. “She said Oaklynn’s friends were gonna visit soon and she was nervous. I’m trying to be supportive, but I’m honestly kinda worried. I heard from Minoru that Oaklynn’s makin’ waves at Hanagasuku…she’s a pretty big party girl.”</p><p>His best friend frowned at the new information. “Really?”</p><p>“Yeah. She’s hit it off with a bunch of girls even though she’s only been here for a little while. I know she’s got a good head on her shoulders, but you know how pushy some guys can be. What worries me is that she has a hard time believing that anyone would ever hit on her in the first place.”</p><p>“I’m sure she’ll be careful with them.”</p><p>“I hope so.” Kuroo stared down at his lock screen. The picture of you kissing his cheek felt like a hazy dream now. He would have to shelve those negative thoughts and stay positive for your sake.</p><p>As nice as it sounded doing nothing for the next four months or so, you did want to feel productive. You could only hang around the house for so long before you got nagged by your family and friends for not going out and experiencing more that America had to offer. Paolo and Marques had done an amazing job in indulging you in things you never would’ve done before. It was scary, sure, definitely anxiety-inducing – but the two of them were so understanding and kind that you never felt like you were burdening them.</p><p>Much to their surprise, you were quick to pick up Mr. Hinsen’s offer on becoming his assistant. Aside from his regular teaching duties as a literature teacher, he was the one who volunteered to hold supplementary classes for students who were at risk of failing.</p><p>In the mornings, you were free to laze around or go out with Oaklynn’s parents. Afternoons were reserved for heading to the school to help him with whatever he needed from you. Even if you weren’t the one directly teaching the class, you still felt like you were contributing something by helping to prepare his lectures, print off handouts and set up his presentations.</p><p>Just as Hanagasuku had intimidated you when you first started, so did Oceanview Academy. The place was massive and just as extravagant as one would expect from an elite private school. It consisted of several buildings across the campus, its own library, parking garage, pools, courts, fields and even its own fully equipped gym.</p><p>The most striking thing about it was the lack of uniforms. Everyone was free to dress as they pleased. They could dye their hair and wear their piercings. It was a stark difference from the uptight atmosphere at your own school. It was clear that despite the less than strict regs put on them, the students themselves took everything seriously. With as much freedom as they were given, it was no wonder that so many of them allowed their creativity to flourish. They were able to maintain their individuality and keep up with their studies, too.</p><p>“Could you make me ten more copies of these notes?” Mr. Hinsen handed you the original. “We have a few more students joining in. I want to make sure that we have extras just in case.”</p><p>“Yup. No problem.” You knew your way to the nearest machine, only after having gone back and forth about a dozen times. “Be right back.”</p><p>You were relieved that you’d been slowly creating a mental map of this place. It felt like a maze sometimes. The first week you spent at the scool, you were sure you got turned around at least half a dozen times. One of the janitors was kind enough to give you directions when he saw you looking around dumbly and trying to gather up the courage to ask for help.</p><p>You headed down the hallway and drank in the atmosphere. The rows of lockers along the halls were a usual hangout for people between classes. It still baffled you to know that everyone had to travel from class to class instead of having the teachers come to them. It was always such a mad rush when the bell rang and the hallways flooded with students.</p><p>There were several posters plastered on the walls for various events coming up, or invitations to certain clubs who were looking for new members. The time when you went to the recruiting event with Aiko seemed like so long ago. Mr. Hinsen said there was a creative writing club and it sounded exciting if a bit nervewracking.</p><p>You could hear faint music coming from the end of the hall. It looked like some people were practicing. It was hard to say if they were in the school band, working on individual study, or if they were just doing it for fun and needed a quiet place to concentrate.</p><p>You turned the corner and were about to head inside the copier room when you realized that someone was inside. Judging by the raised and heated voices, it didn’t sound like a pleasant conversation. You didn’t want to be nosy and barge in unannounced. Instead, you shuffled off to the wall next to the door and pulled out your phone to distract yourself.</p><p>Unfortunately, the door was cracked. You could hear the entire thing play out.</p><p>“…just so sick of you! I can’t do this anymore!” Whoever this girl was, her voice was shrill. You froze at the anger laced in her words.</p><p>In contrast, the boy’s voice was soft and showed genuine concern. “Why? I won’t get it unless you explain it to me. I’m trying my best. Just tell me what I’m doing wrong.”</p><p>“If you can’t see it, then that’s <em>your</em> problem, NOT mine! I’m done with you, okay? How hard is it for you to understand that? I already told you last night and you’re acting like nothing happened!”</p><p>“I wanted to talk about it in person. Breaking up over text is really shitty.”</p><p>“As if I give a fuck, dude! I didn’t want to see your stupid face today. And before you ask, I’m not going to change my mind or think about it. You can go to prom alone, got it?”</p><p>You flattened yourself against the wall when the door burst open and hit the other side. The girl stalked out fuming. She didn’t even notice you were there as she tore down the hall. You were in shock. It felt like you’d just been thrust into one of those telenovelas that Paolo forced you to watch with him one weekend.</p><p>When you gathered enough courage to try and peek around to see if the guy had left, you yelped in surprise to see him standing in the doorway and giving you a blank look.</p><p>“Hey,” he greeted you casually. “Guess you heard that, huh?”</p><p>“I-I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to.” You clutched the pile of papers closer to your chest to emphasize what you were here for.</p><p>He shot you a lukewarm smile. “It’s not a big deal. You’d be surprised at how many scenes she’s caused like this before, so I’m kind of used to it. Still…kind of embarrassing knowing that I made an ass out of myself in front of the new girl.”</p><p>Ah, shit. There had been some talk about you after all. You didn’t know what else to say. What did you even do to comfort someone who had just gotten their heart ripped out of their chest and pulverized to mush?</p><p>He brought his wrist up and checked his watch. It was a little strange to see, especially considering that almost everyone just used their phones for that nowadays. His watch didn’t even look expensive. It had a plain black band and a scratched face.</p><p>“Do you need any help in there?”</p><p>“Uh…no…thanks, though.” You stepped away from the wall and around him, moving towards the copier.</p><p>He didn’t budge despite you dashing inside. You stood in front of the machine. You could feel your face getting hot, only because you were embarrassed at how rude you’d been earlier. Not only that, but he still hadn’t left. He stood there and watched you as you tried to punch the buttons to get the job over and done with as quick as possible.</p><p>“So,” he drawled, entering the room again. You were about to panic until you saw him pick up the stack of papers that sat at the end of the machine. It looked like he had been in the middle of copying sheet music before he had his ass chewed out. “You’re from Japan, right?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>He fingered through the pages with a languid pace. If he could see how uncomfortable you were, he didn’t show it. “I’ve only ever been there when I was a kid. That’s where my mom’s from. I don’t even know the language, to be honest with you. People assume I would, but it’s not like I had a lot of opportunity to practice in my other schools. I’m a whiz at French, though.”</p><p>He straightened up the stack and snuck a glance at you again. You kept wishing he would just say his goodbyes and then leave.</p><p>“Name’s Jun, by the way. Jun Graves. Nice to meet you, though I guess it’s kind of weird considering the circumstances.” He stuck his hand out towards you.</p><p>You hesitated. The last time someone offered you this kind of gesture, it was that creep Daishou. He ended up using it as an excuse to engage in psychological warfare with Kuroo. Still, you didn’t want to be rude.</p><p>You took his hand in yours and were a little surprised at how different it was. There were no callouses on his palms like Kuroo’s. His grip was firm. He kept the handshake short and went back to sticking it in his pocket while he kept the stack of papers pressed with his other arm.</p><p>“I’m gonna get going. But I’ll see you around.” He approached the exit and paused. “Oh, hey. You didn’t tell me your name. Or should I just call you ‘new girl’?”</p><p>You cringed at the inevitable nickname. You introduced yourself properly. He nodded and gave you a little wave as he left the room.</p><p>You were ecstatic once the copier spit out what you needed. You grabbed the stack and ducked out so you could make a mad dash toward the classroom. For someone who got broken up with, Jun held himself together pretty well. You wondered if he was trying to keep his emotions in check since you were there. Either way, he at least was kind enough not to berate you for unintentionally eavesdropping.</p><p>At the end of the lecture, you made sure to straighten the desks before heading to the exit. It was weird how everyone left their mess and expected the staff to take care of it. You were so used to grabbing a broom and dustpan from the supplies closet to clean the classroom back at your old school. You hadn’t even considered that such a thing would be considered abnormal here.</p><p>You crossed the threshold and realized that a group of girls were hanging outside of the classroom. You wondered if maybe they needed to talk to Mr. Hinsen.</p><p>“She just came out! Hey!” One of the girls waved at you. “I found her, Paolo! Thanks!”</p><p>The familiar name caught your attention. Sure enough, you could hear his distinctive voice carry through the receiver.</p><p>“Here,” the girl smiled at you, urging you to take her phone.</p><p>“Hi, hon!” Paolo called out to you. “Sorry if this is a little short notice, but I have to head to my office to do some overtime and the girls were asking about you, so I thought you guys could hang out tonight!”</p><p>You had no idea what was going on. “Uh…the girls?”</p><p>“We’re Oaklynn’s besties!” another chirped at you. “We’ve been looking forward to hanging out with you! It’s been super busy with school and stuff, but since it’s a Friday night, we thought we would kidnap you for a few hours. Paolo said you weren’t busy. Hopefully that’s okay!”</p><p>You didn’t even know what to say. You would’ve liked more of a heads up before he made this kind of decision. You knew he acted before he really thought about things. These girls were outright strangers. Even if they were friends of Oaklynn’s and you may have seen them in passing during your chats earlier in the year, it was jarring meeting them in person, let alone being told you were going to spend the rest of your night with them.</p><p>“They promised they would take care of you. If anything happens, you have my cell! Have fun!”</p><p>He hung up before you could get another word in. You were floored. The four girls crowded around you without any way for you to talk your way out of this. You seriously debated faking an illness so you could back out of this.</p><p>She pointed at each one as she rattled off their names. “We are all sooo excited! Oaklynn said you were super sweet, and she told us all about you. We were gonna grab something to eat before taking you out!”</p><p>You didn’t have much say as they whisked you out of the school. One of them had her license and she owned a Mercedes-Benz. You thought for sure it was her parents’, but apparently it was something she got for her birthday. There was no way you could even think about owning something like this in your lifetime. You did a quick search online out of sheer nosiness and found out that the car alone cost a hundred and thirty thousand dollars. What. The. Hell.</p><p>“Ugh, I’m not even hungry. I ate that massive salad at lunch, remember?”</p><p>“Well, I am. And you <em>should</em> eat something or you’re gonna be <em>super</em> sloppy tonight, and we don’t need you to embarrass yourself in front of our new friend!”</p><p>You had no idea what was going on. They fired off a barrage of questions about you and the energy inside the car was chaotic at best. They had their own conversations with each other, inside jokes, squabbled and sang along to the songs on the radio. You were so overstimulated you hadn’t even realized you parked so they could drag you inside.</p><p>“Are you seriously gonna order that shake, too? Oh my god! Coach is gonna be sooo pissed at our next weigh-in.”</p><p>“Shut up! I’m on my period, I deserve chocolate.”</p><p>“You are? Me too!”</p><p>The energy died down as you were seated in a booth together at some little diner they picked. They were engrossed in their meals and you were grateful for it. It gave you a second to catch your breath.</p><p>“So…what’s the plan for tonight?” You bit down on a French fry. “Are we going to the mall or something?”</p><p>“Well, that’s what we told Paolo and Marques, but no,” one laughed. “Actually, we thought we would pop your cherry tonight!”</p><p>You could feel the color drain from your face. “What?”</p><p>“Girl. You’re scaring her.” They all laughed together. “We don’t mean <em>literally</em>. It’s an expression when you like, do something for the first time. Oaklynn told us that you’re kind of quiet and spend a lot of your time at home and stuff. But we know exactly where to go to have fun.”</p><p>You weren’t liking where this was going. “Like…a party?”</p><p>“Yeah! It’ll be fine, don’t worry. We’ll all make sure you have fun. You don’t drink, right?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“You’re so cute.” She reached out and patted your head affectionately. “That’s gonna change tonight! We’re going to make some unforgettable memories, you’ll see.”</p><p>You didn’t think you were dressed for a party. Was this at someone’s house, a venue, a bar? You had no idea. You felt like you were drowning and none of them would throw you a raft even if you begged them to. In their minds, they were sharing their world and giving you a taste of what they considered typical behavior.</p><p>You were scared, truth be told. You’d never gone drinking before and you honestly didn’t really want to? It never crossed your mind. When you and Kuroo hung out with your friends, you had fun without any alcohol around. Were you weird for that? You heard about people going out to parties, clubbing and all that stuff. No one in your social circle was into it and so you never had the opportunity to try it.</p><p>It sounded like a recipe for disaster. You, this group of girls you barely knew, and an entire room full of drunk strangers. You could feel the nervousness settle in your gut and found that you were so anxious you couldn’t even finish eating.</p><p>You all piled back into the car. You felt like you were going to throw up. The phone mounted near the dashboard fired off a round of directions and you could see the ETA shorten minute by minute. It looked like you would pull up into a residential neighborhood. The party must have been thrown by a classmate. Classic rich kid move – their parents go out of town for the weekend and they let everyone tear the house up.</p><p>“We’ll stick by you no matter what. If you can’t take it, we can leave whenever you want.” One of them squeezed your hand.</p><p>You weren’t so sure about that. You nodded anyway.</p><p>Just as you suspected, the house was huge. Typical kind of place for the family that could send their kid to a swanky private school. You trailed after the girls up the driveway and to the front door. Several people hung out in the fresh air and smoked a few cigarettes with beers in their hands. You already felt like you stuck out like a sore thumb and everyone was judging you. It didn’t help that the girls you were with attracted so much attention.</p><p>The living room was packed full of people. You didn’t even know where to look. A few guys were on the couch playing some kind of first-person shooter with each other and yelling profanities at the TV. Some girls watched in mild interest before scrolling on their phones and taking a few pictures together to post on social media.</p><p>The smell was the worst part. Aside from the heavy cologne and perfume, there was the unmistakable sting of smoke, the bitter alcohol and…something strong that made your nose wrinkle. One look at the bong in the middle of the table told you exactly what it was. You were surprised to see someone snatch it up and make a move to light it, only to have your hand tugged forward past the sea of warm bodies.</p><p>“Okay, let’s see.” She made a beeline for the kitchen island with a skip in her step.</p><p>You hadn’t realized how much alcohol there really was laid out for everyone to take. There were rows of empty bottles in the corner and strewn all over. You’d never seen some of this stuff before. You peered at the labels. Hennessy, Johnnie Walker, Rey Sol, Ciroc X…you knew just by looking that there were all insanely expensive. It was intimidating.</p><p>“Okay, we all have to do at least one shot together!” She passed out the tiny glasses filled to the brim with clear liquid. You didn’t even know what it was. You stared at it and wished it would go away on its own. “Don’t worry, I’ve got your chaser lined up!”</p><p>You didn’t even know what she meant. All of you clinked your glasses together and you watched each of them toss their heads back and down it in one go. You put your lips to the rim and could already feel an unpleasant burn on the sensitive layer of skin there. You winced and forced yourself to copy their movements.</p><p>Once it hit the back of your throat, you nearly gagged. It tasted like how you would imagine rubbing alcohol would. Your eyes watered as it traveled down, pricking every inch of your esophagus as it went. It was excruciating. Once you were sure you swallowed all of it, you erupted into a series of racking coughs into the crook of your arm. You could feel your nose start to run.</p><p>“Here you go.” She handed you the cup filled with something else. “It doesn’t have any alcohol. It’ll help you keep it down.”</p><p>You drank it greedily. It was carbonated and sweet which made the sting subside. You blinked back and set the solo cup down on the counter, earning cheers from the rest of the group.</p><p>“Congrats! You’re officially one of us!”</p><p>You could already feel your face get hot. You weren’t sure if it was from the drink or if it was embarrassment. You stood off to the side and sipped at the fruity drink to calm your nerves. A couple of the girls left because they spotted people they knew and went to say hi. Another was dragged off by a guy and didn’t even bother looking back. Only one stuck by you. So much for them promising they wouldn’t abandon you.</p><p>“I’ll get you a refill.” She grabbed your empty cup and winked. You turned toward the crowd and wondered what people found so fun about this at all. It was exhausting and you’d only been here for less than an hour. “Here you go!”</p><p>You peered at what was in the cup as she raided through the fridge for something. It was a different color than what you’d been drinking before. You brought it to your lips for a tentative taste. Much to your relief, it didn’t have any alcohol in it. You took a big swig as you people watched together.</p><p>“See that girl over there? That’s Aniyah. She and I used to be best friends, but we kinda grew apart once we got to high school. The guy she’s with is Devon, her boyfriend. Actually, all three of us used to go to this strict Catholic all-girls school when we were younger. Then when we graduated, Devon transitioned. Six months on T and I barely recognized him! He got piercings and tattoos and is now pretty much the hottest guy I’ve ever seen.”</p><p>The more you listened to her, the more you nursed your drink. Your head felt fuzzier and it was like every ounce of tension in your body started to ebb away. You found yourself smiling more often at her words and glancing around the room. The noise didn’t bother you as much. You rocked on your heels and realized you needed another drink.</p><p>“Ugh, let’s go find the others.” She refilled your cup yet again and you nearly spilled it when pushing yourself off the counter to follow her.</p><p>It took a little more concentration out of you to keep in line. You stumbled and mumbled an apology after you shoulder-checked someone. You spotted the rest of the girls convening near a pool table, two of them holding the cues and battling with it like they were sword fighting.</p><p>“Heyyy, there you guys are!”</p><p>“You guys totally ditched us,” she scolded them. “You said you wouldn’t.”</p><p>“Sorry! We were only gone for like five minutes.”</p><p>She sighed. “Just keep an eye on her. She’s buzzing and I need the bathroom.”</p><p>“Ohhh.” One giggled and reached forward to pinch her friend’s nose. “Try not to get a nosebleed this time, I still have nightmares about trying to get the stain out of your cashmere sweater.”</p><p>“Shut up.” She whirled around and made a beeline for the other end of the room.</p><p>You watched her go and continued working on your drink. It went down a lot easier for whatever reason. You observed the group as they chatted. You didn’t participate in the conversation very much, mostly because it was hard to concentrate.</p><p>“Aw, you’re all glassy-eyed!” One of the girls squeezed your arm and nodded toward you. Everyone snorted with laughter and you couldn’t understand what was so funny about it.</p><p>You faded into the background and tried to keep yourself upright. The initial feeling of relaxation had gotten a little annoying, now. You realized that you were dizzier than before. You leaned against the wall and hadn’t even noticed that the girls had once again moved away from you.</p><p>When you stared straight ahead, you realized someone had been standing there and talking to you. You saw his lips move, but it was hard to understand what he was saying at first. You blinked and concentrated harder, your eyes traveling up to his.</p><p>Before you knew it, he had his hand on your wrist. You felt him give you a gentle tug toward a group of people dancing in the center of the room. You realized what he was asking and shook your head with a halfhearted smile.</p><p>He didn’t relent. If anything, he squeezed tighter. He pulled you much more forcefully this time. You resisted just as much. All the while, you kept shaking your head and telling him no.</p><p>It was scaring you. He was much bigger than you were. He smelled like stale cigarettes and sweat. You recoiled from his touch and he cornered you, looming over you with accusatory eyes and a smile screwed on his face. When you looked over to your right, you saw that Oaklynn’s friends had all locked eyes with you. None of them made a move for you despite your obvious discomfort. They only watched with blank expressions while you tried to wrench yourself out of the stranger’s grip.</p><p>You braced yourself and yanked hard. His fingers dug into your skin and the tension caused you to wince.</p><p>“Don’t be such a bitch,” he hissed, lowering his voice so only you could hear it. “You’re making a scene.”</p><p>You had no idea what he was talking about. You opened your mouth to say something when you heard a hard squelching sound and the pressure around your arm disappeared instantly.</p><p>Someone screamed and shouted as you struggled to figure out what just happened. The guy was on the ground with someone on top of him and beating his face in. Your mouth hung open and you hadn’t realized that a girl had rushed over to you and took your hand. She led you away from the gruesome scene and out the front door, both of you bursting out into the humid night air. It washed over you and sparked what little sense you had left.</p><p>You ran down to the end of the street before stopping. You hunched over, put your hands on your knees, and threw up all over someone’s front lawn. You could feel her rub a soothing hand across your back as you emptied your guts out.</p><p>You stood back up and she handed you some baby wipes. You wiped the remnants of vomit from your chin and brushed away the tears in the corners of your eyes.</p><p>“Are you okay?” She sighed and reached into her purse to hand you a fresh bottle of water. “Here, drink this. You need to hydrate and flush all of that stuff out of your system. Just take a second and breathe.”</p><p>You guzzled it down greedily, not bothering to put on a polite act. You had no idea who she was or why she came to your rescue.</p><p>“There he is,” she muttered. “Devon! Over here!”</p><p>You turned around and watched him approach you. The name sounded familiar. A tall, lanky boy with pale skin, a smattering of freckles across his face, and a tuft of red hair sticking out from a lopsided beanie. He had a stream of blood oozing from his upper lip and his knuckles were battered. He didn’t seem to care.</p><p>“You guys got a lot farther than I thought.” He huffed out a laugh. “She alright?”</p><p>“Yeah, just shaken up. What about you?” She grabbed one of his hands and turned it over. You could see the dark ink etched on his knuckles underneath the thin layer of blood. “I can’t believe you hit him that hard and he got up.”</p><p>“He got a couple in before I laid him down flat.” He scoffed and turned toward you. He had on a green bomber jacket, a white undershirt, jeans and sneakers. The cuffs of his sleeves were rolled up and you spotted even more vivid tattoos peeking from his forearms. His large-framed glasses were slightly askew. “Idiot should learn to keep his hands to himself.”</p><p>She stepped toward the streetlight and its golden glow illuminated her dark skin. You realized she was the girl you'd been told about before. You were about the same size weight-wise. The difference was the way she carried herself. She held her head up high and brushed back the mountain of 3c curls that draped along her shoulders. You hadn’t noticed it before, but she had vitiligo, and patches of lightened skin sat around her eyes and mouth.</p><p>“Your friends are dicks,” Devon stated clearly, his sharp blue eyes locking with yours. “No offense.”</p><p>“Okay, we get it.” Aniyah shushed him. “Not the time. Hey, do you have your phone on you? Is there anyone who can come pick you up?”</p><p>You could see you were trembling. You reached into your bag and pulled it out. You stared at the picture of Kuroo on your lock screen and nearly burst into tears.</p><p>“If you give us an address, we can drop you home. No sense in getting her in trouble if we can’t help it.” Devon crossed his arms. “Promise we won’t bite.”</p><p>“Or if you want, we can get you a cab instead. I’ll pay.”</p><p>You didn’t even know what to say. You were so tired. “I…I’ll just call someone to pick me up.”</p><p>“Suit yourself.” Devon shrugged and leaned against the telephone pole. “We’ll wait here with you until they come by.”</p><p>You decided not to call Paolo. You were upset with him and you were worried he wouldn’t answer. Instead, you picked Marques’ phone. He picked up immediately. In the background you could hear Paolo shouting something at him. It sounded like you had called at a really bad time.</p><p>Marques uttered your name in relief. “I was getting worried when we didn’t hear from you or the other girls. I’ve been texting them all night. Where are you?”</p><p>“I…” You looked at the street signs and rattled off the names. “Can you come pick me up?”</p><p>“Of course. I’ll be there as fast as I can. Is there anyone there with you? You shouldn’t be out by yourself this late, even in that neighborhood.”</p><p>“Yeah, I…I’m with someone…” You glanced over at the other two. “I’ll wait here. Okay. Bye.”</p><p>You hung up the phone and tried to compose yourself. You wanted nothing more than to dial Kuroo’s number and start sobbing over what happened. It was the late afternoon, and he would most likely be home. He would pick up and keep you calm because he always knew what to say. But the more you thought about it, the worse the idea seemed. You didn’t want to worry him. Physically, you were fine. He was halfway across the world and had so many things going on. If you ruined his week because of this, you’d never forgive yourself.</p><p>“Thank you,” you finally murmured to the both of them. They’d just been scrolling on their phones for the most part. “For helping me.”</p><p>“No big deal. I wanted to punch him tonight. You just gave me a reason.” Devon stretched an arm out and his girlfriend tucked herself in his warm embrace. “In all seriousness, don’t worry about it. I’m more pissed off that no one else did anything.”</p><p>Aniyah nodded in agreement. “Those girls are nice, but dumb. They can barely take care of themselves, let alone someone like you. Don’t let them try to guilt trip you for leaving, either, because I know they will. I’m just sorry that you had to go through that.”</p><p>You sniffled. You really wished you had said no when they cornered you at the school.</p><p>“Not to mention they were giving you that nasty shit like nobody’s business,” Devon added. “I saw you slurping it down like it was juice.”</p><p>You felt the blood drain from your face. “What?”</p><p>“You were wasted back there. That shit was like a mix of five different kinds of booze. They add a shit ton of fruity stuff so you can’t taste the difference. The guy who owns the house? That’s his ‘special mix’ or whatever the fuck he calls it. You’re lucky you didn’t pass out.”</p><p>You were an idiot. No wonder you had been so out of it. You were ashamed of your own naivete.</p><p>“Sorry about him. He gets a little heated sometimes.” Aniyah exhaled. “I think your ride is here. Just make sure to drink a bunch of water and get something in your stomach when you get home. Excedrin is great for headaches.”</p><p>You thanked her one more time before the SUV pulled up. Marques rushed out of the car and checked you over. He looked so panicked which was uncharacteristic of him since he was usually the calm and collected of the two. Once he was sure you were unharmed, he ushered you into the passenger seat and told you that there was a plastic bag on the floor if you needed to puke.</p><p>You spent the entire ride in agony. You felt awful. A few times you really did think you weren’t going to make it into the bag. You had zero energy by the time you parked. Your hands were cold and clammy. You struggled to unbuckle your seatbelt and were relieved when he did it for you.</p><p>“Just lean on me. We’ll get you to bed. Take your time.”</p><p>You saw Paolo out of the corner of your eye. He leaned against the wall and drained a full glass of wine in the span of a few minutes as you shuffled through the foyer. For some reason, you felt embarrassed that you couldn’t hang with the girls. He must have known where they were taking you.</p><p>You barely had the energy to change out of clothes and wash your face. Marques sat on the edge of the bed as he made sure you were comfortable. After managing to get a few crackers in you, you leaned back onto the pillows. The tears fell freely.</p><p>You know you dozed off after that, only because the muffled conversations outside the door were lost on you. You squirmed in bed the entire night, alternating between using the trashcan near the side of the bed and curling into the fetal position. You felt like you were really going to die. You were thankful that Marques and Paolo both came in to keep you company.</p><p>You woke up and turned toward the window. The position of the sun told you exactly what time it was. You shifted groggily and winced. Oh, <em>fuck</em>. Aside from the queasiness that settled in your stomach, your head hurt so bad. It was like a migraine and a cluster headache had a baby and that baby decided it would take great pleasure from splitting your head open like a melon. You shuddered from the cold air of the room and reached to the nightstand for your phone.</p><p>As soon as you pressed the home button, you realized there were countless messages from Kuroo asking where you were. You realized the date and cursed yourself. You always scheduled movie dates on Saturday and Sunday afternoons for him. In the midst of the confusion, you didn’t even think about texting him what happened.</p><p>“Oh, you’re up.” Paolo entered the room and looked relieved. “I brought you some soup. I know you probably feel horrible, but it’s important to keep yourself hydrated and fed.”</p><p>You sat up and he put the tray on your lap. He hesitated for a moment before he spoke.</p><p>“I’m sorry about what happened. I just wanted you to have some fun and let loose. I already spoke to the girls and gave them a good scolding, so don’t worry about it. I know it wasn’t your fault.”</p><p>You continued eating and didn’t have the energy to respond.</p><p>“Your boyfriend called last night asking for you. I told him you were out, but I didn’t let him know about what happened afterward.” He sighed. “You should give him a call.”</p><p>He left the room and that was exactly what you did. You pulled up your contacts and hit dial, not caring that it was barely 6 A.M. where he was.</p><p>“’Lo?” Kuroo muttered, voice thick with sleep.</p><p>“Tetsurou…” you trailed off. Your voice trembled. “I’m sorry I missed our date last night.”</p><p>He inhaled deep and you heard him shift in bed. “It’s okay. I know you wanted to get rid of me all this time.” He chuckled and hummed to himself as he stretched. “Did you have fun?”</p><p>You swallowed. You wanted to tell him the truth. You did. You couldn’t bring yourself to do it. You blamed yourself for what happened. You wanted to forget about the entire experience.</p><p>“Yeah,” you lied. “I met up with Oaklynn’s friends.”</p><p>“And they didn’t go too crazy? Heard some things about ‘em.”</p><p>“No. It was fine.” You bit back the urge to break down in front of him. Ignorance was bliss. Kuroo had a game coming up that he needed to concentrate on. “I’ll make it up to you later. You get to pick the movie and I won’t even complain once.”</p><p>He laughed. “Score. That means we’re definitely watching that marathon of that one anime <em>Slaphappy Academy</em> where the girl is going to school to follow in her father’s footsteps and become the number one clown in Japan.”</p><p>“I hate you so much,” you sputtered. You wished he were here so you could mess with him. “It’s so stupid. I hate the costumes and her stupid makeup and red nose. What little girl wants to be a clown when they grow up? And why is the school run by a talking panda?”</p><p>“Because pandas are nature’s clowns. Look at their faces.”</p><p>You snorted. “You’re the worst.”</p><p>You and Kuroo talked for a good hour or two. If he picked up on how you were feeling, he didn’t say anything about it. His voice alone made all the difference. You nearly dozed off during his animated retelling of him knocking down spike after spike at practice. Not because it was uninteresting, but because the husky tremor reverberated down your spine and encouraged you to let consciousness drift away.</p><p>“So, what’s the plan for today?”</p><p>You curled up into a tighter ball and winced as your stomach cramped. “Just gonna chill. I don’t feel like going out or anything today. Do you have practice today?”</p><p>“Yeah, a little later after lunch. Me and Kenma are gonna work on passes. You know how it is. Gotta make sure that we kick Fukurodani’s ass the next time. Still need to take back my pride, you know. They beat Nohebi in two sets in March and I’ll never forget the way he wiped that stupid smirk off Daishou’s face. Should’ve been me, though.”</p><p>“Don’t worry, you will <em>definitely</em> make him pay for what he did. Bokuto was just the warm-up.”</p><p>You remembered how crushed their team had been. No amount of cheating gave them a chance against a powerhouse school like Fukurodani. Bokuto vowed to you he would win, and he did. He’d been so excited afterwards he nearly snapped your spine in half with his overzealous hug. Kuroo had been the one to pry him off you.</p><p>“Hey…Tetsurou?”</p><p>“’Sup?”</p><p>“You don’t think I’m boring, do you?”</p><p>He scoffed on the other end. “If I did, then would I have been chasing after you all these years?”</p><p>“I’m being serious.”</p><p>“So am I. Why?”</p><p>You didn’t want to go into specifics. “I just mean…the girls here are so different. They’re confident and have so much fun partying and stuff. I’ve never really been like that. I mean the closest I came to something like that was when we went to the karaoke bar for your birthday, but it’s not like we went drinking or dancing or anything like that. Plus, it was all people I knew so I didn’t mind it so much, even if I was super drained afterward.”</p><p>Kuroo took a few seconds to mull over your words. “People have fun different ways. I know everyone wants to believe that you can’t have a good time unless you’re high or drunk, but that’s not really true. I like spending time with you no matter what we do. Even when we’re just hanging out on the couch and making fun of cheesy horror movies or throwing popcorn at each other. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. Besides, I bet there are tons of people who don’t like that either and they just feel like they have to in order to fit in.”</p><p>That made a lot of sense and it did make you feel a bit better. After last night, you had no plans to go out drinking for the remainder of your time here. Even if the next time you were surrounded by good friends and felt as relaxed as you did with Kuroo, it wouldn’t feel right. His reassuring words resonated with you.</p><p>“Besides, you don’t wanna be like Oaklynn…” Kuroo trailed off. “I heard that she’s been a little off the rails since she transferred here. She said she went to rehab last year for the first time.”</p><p>“Seriously?” She never told you that. “Jeez. When the headmaster talked about her, she made her seem like she was this perfect little angel.”</p><p>“Yeah, if you count taking stimulants as a way for her to do all those classes and activities outside of school. She’s got her own problems. I just hope that she slows down and remembers why she came all the way out here.”</p><p>You really wanted her to have a wake-up call. Marques’ anxious behavior last night made much more sense. His daughter had a drinking problem and if you didn’t know any better, you’d say so did Paolo. You decided not to indulge the latter anymore. You were too different and his idea of “having a good time” didn’t coincide with yours.</p><p>Kuroo got off the phone not too long after that so he could practice. You were sad to see him go, but in all honesty, you wanted nothing more than to take a nap.</p><p>Your phone buzzed and you checked who it was. Looked like one of the girls from last night. You frowned and rolled over, leaving them on read, and prepared yourself for the next few days of recovery.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I wasn't sure if I needed to list any trigger warnings for this chapter. PLEASE let me know if you'd like me to tag something, I will absolutely do it.</p><p>In any case, have a great week and thanks for stopping by!</p>
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<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Dissonant</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Your new friends ask you for a favor and you feel obligated to agree.</p>
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    <p>“Each presentation is going to be handled by two people.” The homeroom teacher tried to keep everyone under control by raising her voice, but it was easier said than done. Half a dozen teenagers sitting in a cramped room didn’t exactly invite the best conditions for peak concentration and focus. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Listen up! I’m calling out your partners, they’ve already been assigned, so don’t bother trying to stick with your friends on this one.”</p><p>Several girls grumbled and separated from each other. That was exactly the kind of thing she wanted to avoid. As nice as it would have been to trust the students to pair up on their own, she knew which students wouldn't succeed based on their present company.</p><p>“Kuroo Tetsurou, you can catch up on your sleep later. You’re with Maeda Akari.”</p><p>The boy in question jerked in his seat. He’d been dozing off for the latter half of the lecture, exhausted from relentless practice the day before. His aching muscles were so uncomfortable that he’d resorted to sneaking power naps throughout the day just to cope with the pain. He lifted his head and turned in the direction that the homeroom teacher gestured to.</p><p>It was obvious who his partner was. She stared right at him. Kuroo hadn’t noticed her before; she was so quiet and far removed from his classmates that it was easy to forget she was even there. He shot her a friendly smile and she returned it, the movement causing the bridge of her glasses to slip down her nose. She pushed it up with a knuckle and went back to her notebook to no doubt take more detailed instructions on the new project.</p><p>When the day was over and done with, everyone broke off to contact their new partners. Kuroo made the first move. She stood up in an awkward attempt to make her way to him and he beat her to the punch. He grabbed the nearby chair and whipped it around before plopping onto the seat.</p><p>“Did you have any ideas about what you wanted to do?” In all honesty, he hadn’t given it much thought. He would go with whatever she suggested only because he cared more about the grade than the subject itself. That and he was aching (literally) to go home.</p><p>She brushed down a few stray wisps in disarray at the top of her head. Her long, dark hair had been meticulously woven into twin braids that draped over her chest. She peered up at him through thick bangs cut straight across her forehead.</p><p>“I have a few ideas,” she told him. “Here.” She turned her notebook his way.</p><p>Kuroo glanced down and was surprised to see how many possibilities she’d listed. “Wow, you thought up all of this already?”</p><p>She nodded. “I wasn’t sure what you prefer. If you don’t like any of them, I can always come up with something else.”</p><p>He withheld a chuckle at her enthusiasm. She seemed like the nerdy type and this kind of thing must have piqued her interest. “Yeah, this is good. I’ll tell you which ones jump out at me and you pick from there.”</p><p>Kuroo ran down the list and did just that. The two of them went with something they thought would be engaging and that they would find plenty of research materials on. The conversation flowed freely. There was no trace of awkwardness in it despite the fact that this was the first time they had spoken to each other since the beginning of the year.</p><p>When the final bell rang, she gathered her things and held the notebook close to her chest. They headed for the exit together. He waited for her to go through and in the meantime fished his phone out of his pocket. He’d been awaiting your message all afternoon and finally had the chance to skim it over.</p><p>Kuroo was about to read it when she called out to him. The distraction sapped away the summary of his day he’d already been composing in his head.</p><p>“Are you free tomorrow?” She didn’t beat around the bush. She was probably antsy in getting the work over with so she could relax for the rest of the week.</p><p>He nodded without thinking twice about it. “Yeah. No practice tomorrow for me. What about you? What club are you in?”</p><p>“Choir.”</p><p>“For real? You barely talk in class. Never would’ve expected you to be the performing arts type.”</p><p>She shot him a sly smile. “Well, I guess you have a lot to learn about me now that we’re partners. For the record, I don’t consider myself a quiet type of person. I just don’t really click with anything in homeroom. Most of my friends are a year ahead of me.”</p><p>That was more words than he’d ever heard her speak in class. “You don’t say?”</p><p>“We can go to the library to brainstorm. See you.”</p><p>She started down the hallway with a certain kind of grace, her posture flawless and stride elegant. Several guys watched her go from the corner of their eye before whispering to each other. Seemed like she was popular enough. Within the next few seconds, she was approached by a couple of older girls. The newly formed group swapped stories and gossip as their peals of laughter echoed against the emptying halls.</p><p>Kenma and Taketora approached Kuroo. They were let out of their classrooms down the hallway a few minutes beforehand. Neither of them spoke when they reached him. They assumed he was already well aware that they made plans to head to practice together. In truth, Kuroo hadn’t even realized they were there. He observed the girl from a distance.</p><p>“Hey,” Taketora ground out. “What’re you lookin’ at? Someone bothering you?”</p><p>Kuroo returned his attention to them and let out a small chuckle. He slipped his phone back into his pocket, leaving your message opened and without a response. “Nah. Just my new project partner. You guys ready to work on the passes, or what?”</p><p>“Finally! Let’s get out of here!” Taketora shifted the bag along his shoulder. “Hey, keep up, Kenma! Pick up the pace!”</p><p>“Do we really have to practice today?”</p><p>“Ehhh?! Are you kiddin’ me? I’ll drag you there myself, you’d better not say your stomach is hurting again!”</p>
<hr/><p>Having recovered from the night gone wrong, you were back to assisting Mr. Hinsen at the school. Classes were winding down for the year and seniors prepared to graduate. Given that finals were right around the corner, the supplementary classes seemed a lot fuller than they had been in weeks. You scrambled around trying to make sure that everything was in order. You helped grade papers, passed out photocopies of articles or passages for discussion, and even put together a couple of pop quizzes.</p><p>You and Kuroo had been talking to each other as frequently as possible, but the time difference and your conflicting schedules made it more difficult as time went on. You would have more luck when summer break started, you supposed. At least for a little while. Kuroo already had plans to head back to the training camp hosted by Fukurodani and you didn’t want to get in the way of his practices by being a clingy girlfriend.</p><p>You walked through the entrance of the school with a lunch bag in hand. You usually ate by yourself underneath the stairs, far removed from the other students, only because you were too intimidated to head to the cafeteria. Most people didn’t even realize you were there. Well, until a couple or two came strolling by and nearly fell on top of you as they ate each other’s faces. So awkward.</p><p>You pulled up your phone and checked out for new videos on YouTube, scrolling through the recommendations. So many memes, so little time. It was hard to pick just one. You found a thirty-second video – perfect for your whittling attention span – and decided to try your hand at being entertained by a man narrating a gripping fight between two praying mantises.</p><p>You were so engrossed in his (somehow intriguing) voiceover that you didn’t notice the shadow that fell over you.</p><p>“Hey. It’s Miss Hot Mess.”</p><p>You jerked and dropped your phone onto your lap. When you craned your neck backwards, you saw a familiar mop of red hair hidden underneath a beanie. “Oh…Devon, right?”</p><p>“That’s me.” He crouched down and stared at the screen, silently judging you for your choices. “You should come with me.”</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“Ya heard me. C’mon.” He snatched your phone before you could react.</p><p>You were horrified to see him twirl it in his hand and toss it up and down. He headed down the hallway with an offbeat whistle. It took all of your resolve to gather your things, push up off the ground, and scramble after him. He kept his pace slow on purpose so you could catch up. He did spare you a few glances over his shoulder to make sure you were following him.</p><p>You entered the cafeteria and no one bothered to acknowledge you. It was surprisingly empty given how well-stocked the line was with a variety of meals to choose from. You trailed after the boy still in awe, particularly with the personal chef that hung by the grill in case of special orders. People must have preferred to go out to eat somewhere in the city. After all, it gave them an excuse to come back late for class…or help them decide whether they wanted to stick around for the entire day at all.</p><p>“I was wondering where you went,” Aniyah called out, her voice bright. “I can’t believe you found her so fast.”</p><p>“She was holed up underneath the stairs like a sad little gremlin.” He tossed your phone back at you. You weren’t prepared and dropped it. “Butterfingers, more like. Your head okay?”</p><p>You flushed in embarrassment, remembering how far gone you were when the two of them found you last. “Um…yeah, thanks.”</p><p>“Good to hear. We were worried about you. You were really sick.” Aniyah gestured at the table. “Sit down! We just wanted to properly introduce ourselves and give you the warm welcome you should’ve gotten in the first place. I’m sorry again about those girls. They make bad decisions look easy.”</p><p>“Yeah.” You were relieved someone else felt that way. “I should’ve known better than to go with them.”</p><p>“Well, you don’t have to anymore. You can use the two of us as an excuse.” Aniyah giggled. She cocked her head at you and the earrings fastened in her lobes glinted as they caught the light. “I’ve never been to Japan. Devon, on the other hand, used to want to be an anime artist.”</p><p>“Mangaka,” he corrected, a little irritated that she outed him so readily. “It sounded cool at the time. I’ll be going to school for animation, which basically means I’ll be the househusband while Aniyah makes the big bucks with her own fashion line.”</p><p>Their personalities were a lot more subdued than most of the people you’d met so far. As such, you didn’t feel like you had to put on a front. It was obvious they cared about each other a lot, even despite the quips they took at each other. They were a cute couple. You listened to them chat about the school and classes. They seemed interested in eating lunch with you for the rest of the year and you wondered what it was about you that drew them in.</p><p>About half an hour into getting to know each other, Devon crumpled up his napkin and tossed it behind you. It hit someone dead on because he broke out into crude laughter. You saw a figure settle into the chair next to you and spared a glance. The color in your face drained when you realized who it was.</p><p>“Hi again.” Jun greeted you with a soft smile. “I didn’t know you guys knew her.”</p><p>“We met the other night. She was with the Braindead Quartet.” Devon nodded in your direction, busying himself with scribbles in his notebook. “How’d you bump into her?”</p><p>“In the copy room, where all friendships begin.” Jun chuckled. “You don’t mind if I sit here, do you?”</p><p>“No, of course not.” You still inched away from him slightly. There was something about him that was intimidating. You weren’t sure if it was because of the circumstances you met under or if it was something else.</p><p>Jun lifted a hand and brushed a lock of silver hair behind his pierced ear. His undercut suited him. You could see his black roots peeking out from below his messy hair. It was evident that was his natural color since it matched his eyebrows. The most striking thing about him were those steel blue eyes; not a color one would see that often in Japan.</p><p>“Hey, are we still on for Saturday or what? You never texted me back, dickweed.”</p><p>Jun’s easygoing expression clouded for a moment. “Uh…about that…I don’t think I’ll be able to make it after all.”</p><p>“Dude, what?” Devon jumped up and banged his fists on the table. “You promised we would! Especially since what happened last year was a total bust.”</p><p>“Don’t talk around her like that,” Aniyah interrupted them. “Sorry. We’re talking about prom this weekend. We all had plans to go together. You know what it is?” You shook your head. “It’s basically an excuse for students to party it up before the end of the year. It’s considered a formal event, but it’s a lot of fun. We tried to go last year but I got really sick and we had to cancel.”</p><p>“So what’s your excuse this time?” Devon sighed. “You just gonna sit at home and smoke?”</p><p>Jun hesitated at first, but he seemed like he knew the issue was going to be pushed either way. “Actually, I got dumped last week and I don’t have a date.” Neither of his friends looked surprised. “Hey, don’t try to comfort me all at once.”</p><p>“Should’ve known. You guys hit the month mark, so it was bound to happen.” Devon reached forward and kicked at his friend’s shin from across the table. “You couldn’t get her to stick around for one more weekend?”</p><p>Aniyah looked a little embarrassed at the way this conversation ended up. “Jun, you seriously need to take a breather. We’re worried about you. It isn’t healthy to keep throwing yourself at girls who take you for granted.”</p><p>“I’ll be okay.”</p><p>You had no idea what to say. It sounded like Jun had his fair share of romances so far and none of them worked out. You supposed you were lucky that you and Kuroo had lasted this long. Still, it did suck for him. It was obvious by the expression on his face that the split hurt him. You wondered why the other two were more blasé about it than he was.</p><p>“You can go stag, it’s not the end of the world.”</p><p>“He could, but it’s not as fun when it’s just the three of us. Especially when we go off and do our own thing.”</p><p>You didn’t know what you expected, but Aniyah and Devon turned their eyes toward you. You shrank backwards and tried to pretend you didn’t notice.</p><p>“Miss Hot Mess,” Devon began in a singsong voice, “you owe us a favor.”</p><p>You gaped. “What?”</p><p>“We saved you from yourself the other night. The least you could do is go out with our friend here.” He thumbed in Jun’s direction. “I know he’s kinda hard to look at, but it’ll help us out. Jun needs a date and as far as I can tell, you’re available.”</p><p>“I’m not,” you shot at him. “I have a boyfriend.”</p><p>“I <em>meant</em> you’re free this weekend. Or am I wrong?” He smirked. “For the record, I know you’ve got a guy waiting for you. Hard not to notice when you’ve got a thousand pictures of him on your phone.</p><p>Dammit! He did go through it in the short time he had it! You tried to keep your cool.</p><p>“We wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.” Aniyah rubbed at her arm. “Jun is really sweet. He wouldn’t do anything weird. Besides, it’s not like you guys will be on a date-date. He just needs someone to stand with during pictures.”</p><p>You had no idea what to say. Jun was silent this entire time because he was off in his own little world. He finally snapped back to attention and got the gist of what everyone put out there. One look at your terrified expression and he let out a hasty chuckle.</p><p>“Don’t force her into it, guys. It’s fine, I’ll go alone.”</p><p>The guilt nearly ate you alive. From what you saw, Jun was a nice person. When his ex said all of those nasty things to him, he remained composed. He never took his anger out on you when you witnessed the entire thing. He was friendly and chill. Even now he was defending your choice in the matter. You felt bad enough for him that you did want to help, but something told you that it wouldn’t be right to agree without consulting Kuroo.</p><p>“I…let me ask my boyfriend if it’s okay,” you blurted. “I’ll text him. Depending on what he says, I guess…I’ll go with you. If you’re okay with it. But…it’s kind of short notice, I don’t really have a dress or anything like that, and…”</p><p>Aniyah waved a hand and her eyes glittered. “You don’t have to worry about that. I have my own little oasis for prom season. I can take you there tomorrow. If and when your boyfriend gives you the okay, of course.”</p><p>You really dug yourself in deep, huh? You sighed and took out your phone. You wondered what Kuroo’s reaction would be. What would you even say? ‘Oh, hey dude – just wanted to let you know that I’m going to a party as some other guy’s date. Catch you later!’</p><p>Kuroo trusted you and the feeling was mutual, but it didn’t mean that jealousy didn’t rear its ugly head now and then. You remembered how betrayed he was by the whole fiasco with Mr. Dobashi. Still…Kuroo was <em>also</em> a pretty understanding guy. He tried his best to put himself in your shoes instead of casting judgment.</p><p>“You have to ask your boyfriend permission to go out? That’s fucking lame.” Devon snorted at the way you tried to conceal your irritation. “What? It’s weird.”</p><p>“No, it isn’t. Stop trying to make her feel like shit so she’ll go.” Aniyah sighed. “I promise he’s usually a lot nicer than this.”</p><p>When lunch ended, you promised the three of them you would give an answer as soon as you had one. You brushed past several students near the exit and were about to follow the familiar route to the classroom when you heard your name being called. You stopped before you could round the corner and were surprised to see Jun approach you.</p><p>You hadn’t realized how tall he was until he stood directly in front of you. He peered down at you through long lashes and his voice came out a little strained. “Sorry about those two being a little pushy. I understand if your boyfriend doesn’t want you to go out with me. I would be pretty jealous if my girlfriend asked me something like that. If we don’t go together, you should still tag along. There’s gonna be lots of food, generic music you can zone out to, a chocolate fountain – you know, the good stuff.”</p><p>“Chocolate fountain?” you repeated, not able to hide your amusement. “You should’ve said that in the first place.”</p><p>He laughed. “Guess we have that in common. Well, guess I’ll see you later.”</p><p>You slipped into the classroom and pulled up the chat you had with Kuroo. You typed him a quick message that explained the gist of the situation. A new friend here at school got dumped and needed someone to go to the dance with. There. You would leave it up to him. You didn’t see the harm in going.</p><p>Much to your surprise, Kuroo never answered the text. You were a little disheartened to see that he read it with no response. You thought about texting him again for an answer, but you didn’t want to bother him or make it seem like you were putting the pressure on. Time <em>was</em> ticking, though. Prom was a couple of days away. If you didn’t give the trio a heads up, then Jun would be spending the entire event alone.</p><p>You gave Kuroo an entire day to say something and he still hadn’t. He never even gave you an update from school the day before. You frowned as you scrolled through your past messages. If he was mad at you, he wouldn’t have given you the silent treatment like this. Was he just busy? If so, why couldn’t he fire off a text to let you know that was the case? You mulled over the possibilities as minutes melted into hours.</p><p>You woke up Friday morning and were irritated to see he hadn’t said anything. It was late for him. You typed the message and read it over before pressing send: <em>Thanks for giving me a straight answer, btw. Cool.</em></p><p>You didn’t care how pissed off you sounded. You were upset that he not only ignored you, but he hadn’t checked in with you at all. You knew nothing serious had happened because the rest of your friends carried on business as usual. Kuroo hadn’t even double checked with you to see if you were still on for your movie night. What the hell?</p><p>Knowing that it would be too late to wait for him to get in touch with you, you let your anger get the better of you. You shot off a confirmation text to Aniyah that you would go ahead and go to prom with Jun. Obviously not in a romantic way – but he would at least have someone to call his date, even if the title rung hollow.</p><p>You knew you were cutting it close. Aniyah said she knew the perfect place to go dress shopping. You weren’t too convinced. you’d seen the type of girls who walked around the city. They probably shopped at boutiques that considered anyone above a size zero as plus sized.</p><p>You did have cash for the dress, though once you told Oaklynn’s parents what was up, they gave you a card and told you to use it. Normally you would’ve hesitated, but the last time you pulled a fast one on them, they gave you the longest lecture of your life about how money wasn’t an object for them. It still didn’t make it any less awkward.</p><p>Aniyah’s classes finished and you met up in the parking lot. You were thankful to see she didn’t own some ridiculous sports car that would give you anxiety about leaving a nick in the leather. Instead, she drove a really cute Jeep. The only thing particularly lavish about it was that it had been custom painted a soft baby blue. She seemed like a down to earth girl.</p><p>“Before we leave, I have some ground rules. As the passenger, you are totally responsible for being the DJ. If I don’t like what you have to play, then you’ve lost your privileges. And please put your seatbelt on. I don’t want to get into another argument about whether or not it actually makes a difference if we were to get in a wreck.”</p><p>You chuckled. “You got it.”</p><p>As she started the car, you glanced down at your phone. You talked yourself up a little while ago, but to be honest, you were still incredibly hurt by Kuroo giving you the silent treatment. He was asleep and wouldn’t see your text until the morning. You understood that. You just wished you could clear the air before you went through with this.</p><p>“I wanted a Jeep ever since I was a kid. You ever watched that movie <em>Clueless</em>? It’s classic.” She adjusted her rearview mirror as the warm wind from outside rushed through you. It was a nice enough day that the humidity didn't bother you. “I promise I’m a better driver than any of those girls, though.”</p><p>The place was less stifling than the ones Paolo dragged you to in the first week you’d been here. As soon as you stepped in, you were faced with a full range of sizes – including yours. The place didn’t just sell formal gowns for prom, either. There were lots of cute pieces that you could imagine putting together for a full outfit.</p><p>“This place is run by my sister. I do a lot of the designs you see, and her business partner handles the manufacturing. I help her out right now since her last designer quit. I’m going to Parsons when I graduate. Uh, that’s in New York.”</p><p>She was talented beyond belief. You couldn’t wrap your head around the fact that she brought so many of her ideas to life – and that it was available for so many people to purchase. You knew she was fashionable. This took things to a whole new level. It was no wonder she seemed so much more put together than you were.</p><p>“I used to be like you, y’know,” she continued, gesturing for you to follow her to the racks and racks of gorgeous gowns on display. “I used to hate my body. You grow up in a house full of boys, you learn real quick how to grow a thick skin. I can see you’re still struggling. That’s fine. It takes time. But you have to remember something: your worth isn’t decided by other people. You treat yourself badly and you begin to believe it’s true. You push yourself away from the ones who care about you the most. If you can’t worship your body yet, then the least you can do is treat it the way it deserves – and be kind to it. It’s part of who you are.”</p><p>She gathered up a few things for you to try and encouraged you to make your own choices.</p><p>You were in awe at how easy it was for her to see through you. It was really nice to talk to someone who shared the same experiences you did, though. Yukie and Kaori were kind and they tried so hard to understand you. But even if they had their own insecurities about themselves, it just wasn’t the same for someone like you. The world hated you for what you looked like and it was so easy to internalize those feelings. It was sadder that it took so much more time to unlearn that behavior.</p><p>She leaned against the doors of the dressing room as you peeled your clothing off. You always tended to avert your eyes from the mirror, but her words gave you pause. You stared at your reflection.</p><p>You brought your hand up to your chin and dragged it down your collarbones, your chest, then let it rest on your stomach for a few brief moments. You continued the path down your hips and let them rest on your thighs. You turned to the side and gazed at your profile. All you could see were the parts of you that you didn’t like.</p><p>You always wondered why you had to look so different from everyone else and why your experiences were overshadowed by your size. It hung over you as the years passed and the burden never seemed to get any lighter. Your shoulders sagged and you fisted the material of the dress and gripped tight, trying hard to remain straight-faced and not to burst out into tears.</p><p>You slipped on the dress and stepped out to show Aniyah. She looked you over once and zeroed in on your trembling lower lip and glassy eyes.</p><p>“I didn’t know you thought my stuff was that ugly,” she joked. “I can always give you something else.”</p><p>“No…” you laughed, feeling a lot lighter that she wasn’t about to lecture you. “I don’t know how I feel about it.”</p><p>“If it’s not speaking to you, then that’s that. Try something else. Don’t worry. I’ve got lots of tricks up my sleeve.”</p><p>True to her word, the both of you chatted as you tried on dress after dress. Sometimes it just didn’t fit. Other times the silhouette looked wrong on you. At this point you tended to become disheartened, but you didn’t want to disappoint her. You forced yourself to continue.</p><p>Then you found it. Something that didn’t make you uncomfortable in the slightest. You lingered in the room for a little while longer. You tried to convince yourself that it didn’t suit you.</p><p>“Okay, let’s see…” Aniyah broke into a smile when you stepped out and showed it to her. “Yup. That’s the one. You mind if I take a picture?”</p><p>“Um…”</p><p>“Trust me. Your boyfriend will wanna see it for himself.” She had you stand up straight and gave you directions so she could work on getting the best photo that the lighting had to offer. You were embarrassed but happy that she was so into it. “You really are beautiful in it. You don’t have to believe me, but it’s okay to say it out loud.”</p><p>“Me?” you stammered. “It’s just…weird…”</p><p>“No, it’s not. It’s good to psych yourself up sometimes.” She showed you the picture. While you were apprehensive about how you looked overall, it wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be. “See? A total knockout. I wouldn’t say something like that just to boost your ego.”</p><p>“Not even to get a sale on your dress?”</p><p>She giggled. “No. I’ll have you know I let the designs speak for themselves. And this one is saying, ‘Girl, where have you been all my life’?”</p><p>Under her expectant stare, you acquiesced. “I’m beautiful,” you murmured, feeling silly for playing along.</p><p>You decided to spend the night at her place so you would be able to get ready tomorrow. Marques dropped off an overnight bag to her place and was able to speak with her parents just to make sure it was okay. It gave you some sense of relief, too; as nice as Aniyah was, you learned your lesson not to trust a bunch of people so blindly. You didn’t want to think she would do something to hurt you, but it didn’t hurt to be cautious.</p><p>You plugged your phone into the charger and forgot about it for the rest of the night. You didn’t have a chance to glance at it because you were so busy. You watched a ton of movies and shared stories about how things were growing up. She told you about how she and Devon started dating and when Jun came into the picture.</p><p>“I know that Devon really pushed you to go with him, and that’s fine, but I do need to tell you this.” Aniyah stared straight at you and you almost flinched at how serious her gaze was. “Jun is a great guy and he’s very sweet. The thing is…he can be really intense. I know you’re dating someone and he’s not even on your radar. But you have to know that it’s really not a good idea to hook up with him. There’s a reason why he can’t keep a girlfriend for more than a few weeks.”</p><p>You wondered what she meant by that and part of you wanted to ask. You stopped yourself from doing so. You were not interested in him. Period. Even if you were pissed off at Kuroo, this date was a formality. It didn’t mean anything. You barely knew the guy. Plus, it was a little scary how serious she was. “Intense” was a pretty broad term and you were scared to know why she picked that term above anything else.</p><p>“Hair, nails and makeup. The big three.” Aniyah beckoned you to follow her to her favorite salon which happened to be down the street from her house. “You’re gonna help me pick out a nail color. I’m trusting you.”</p><p>The day rolled on by. It was a little nervewracking having so much attention put on you. You watched from the corner of your eye as Aniyah spun around in the chair opposite of you, a silly grin on her face while you got your hair done together. She made you laugh so hard that the woman painting your nails actually scolded you for moving so much. To get back at her, you smeared on a foundation that was twenty shades too light. She chased you across the room for that.</p><p>You felt strange walking back to her house all decked out and in casual clothes. She didn’t care at all. No one approached you or said anything nasty. You admired her as she strode on ahead, fully at peace with herself and uncaring of the prying eyes on the street.</p><p>You got dressed and then came the pictures. SO. MANY. PICTURES. Your cheeks hurt from the fake smiles that you gave for each one. When the guys showed up in their suits it was like you’d descended into hell. You were instructed to pose in all sorts of different ways. You tried so hard to stomach it.</p><p>As you escaped through the front door to the idling car in the driveway, Jun stopped you.</p><p>“I forgot to give you this,” he explained hurriedly. “Here.”</p><p>You watched him slide the corsage around your wrist. He chose an arrangement of flowers that complimented the color of your dress. Aniyah must have told him what it was. You were embarrassed at the gentleness of his touch. His brow furrowed as he tried to adjust it and you couldn’t help but laugh at how serious he seemed about the whole thing.</p><p>The venue was at a hotel ballroom. As soon as you walked in, you were overwhelmed by the sheer number of students crossing the halls. Everyone looked amazing. The funny thing was, you didn’t feel out of place here. You blended in. Jun offered you his hand and you took it only because literally everyone else was doing the same thing with their date.</p><p>“Okay, one more set of pictures. They have a photographer.” Aniyah dragged you all over.</p><p>You and Jun stood side by side. Aniyah and Devon decided to pose in a ridiculous way with him dipping her down like they were in the midst of a tango. The photographer couldn’t be bothered to care very much. Or so you thought. As you waited for him to snap the picture, he waved a hand in your direction.</p><p>“You two – get closer together so you’re in frame.”</p><p>“Oh, uh…” Jun flushed and shuffled toward you. “Is this okay?”</p><p>“Put your arm around her – yeah, like that.” He continued to shout out orders at you. “C’mon kids, give me something to work with here. This is prom!”</p><p>Your face felt flushed. It must’ve been from how crowded it was. You shifted in Jun’s arms and realized how close together you were. He didn’t look uncomfortable, but he was very wary of his hands and arms. He apologized once when his hand brushed along your waist and you jerked from the suddenness of his touch.</p><p>“We’re gonna go dance. See ya.” Devon waved and snatched his girlfriend’s hand. You were aghast when they disappeared into the sea of thriving bodies.</p><p>“They tend to do this kind of thing a lot,” Jun admitted. “I think that’s why they asked you to come. I’m used to being a third wheel.”</p><p>You sat down together at a table after grabbing some food. You were hyperaware of your gown and did your absolute best not to spill anything on yourself. Jun ate quietly and then turned his attention to the crowd. He looked wistful, almost. You followed his line of vision and realized that he stared at the girl you’d seen him with – his ex. She and her date were off to the side chatting with each other.</p><p>“I can’t believe she moved on so quickly. That’s really messed up,” you muttered. “Are you okay?”</p><p>“Yeah. I’m fine.” He didn’t seem like he was telling the whole truth. “We’d been having problems for a while. I thought you could make it work. You know how it is.” He turned toward you again and you froze when you realized he was on the verge of tears despite his nonchalance. “Sorry for being such a downer.”</p><p>You weren’t sure what possessed you, but you stood up from the table. You walked around it and stretched a hand toward him. You didn’t even have to ask. He accepted the gesture without any hesitation.</p><p>He led you to the center of the room where everyone was going crazy. The pop songs kept coming and no one seemed to care how they might’ve looked to everyone else. The outfits made it so difficult to move around in. You found it easier to focus on him instead of the strangers who surrounded you. The unshed tears had all but disappeared and he showed you that he was probably one of the goofiest dancers you’d ever seen. You’d never done this kind of thing before and…surprisingly, it was fun. You were so caught up in the atmosphere that the anxiety didn’t have a chance to keep its grip on you.</p><p>The DJ wound things down by playing a slower song, one perfect for the teachers to start their rounds to make sure no one was getting too nasty on the dancefloor. You hesitated when that happened. Going crazy was one thing, but this was different.</p><p>“You want to take a break?” Jun asked. “I can get some water.”</p><p>You stepped off to the side and headed back to your table. You watched everyone and wished you and Kuroo could do something like this in the near future. You always begged him to dance with you, even jokingly, but he refused. It was one of the very few things he was so shy about that he rejected the idea outright. You suddenly wished that you could steal a glance at your phone and text him to ask where he’d been. That and apologize for the way you snapped at him earlier.</p><p>Kuroo wasn’t here. That was the sad truth. But it wasn’t fair to Jun to sit here and pine over him, especially when he was trying so hard to have fun knowing his ex-girlfriend was doing her own thing right across the room. You steeled yourself and glanced up at him.</p><p>“Do you know how to slow dance?”</p><p>“Me? Yeah, I do.” He broke into a bashful smile. “You wanna dance with me?”</p><p>You nodded. You pushed yourself up from your chair and followed him to the dance floor where the couples swayed all around you. They were lost in their own moment. No one would notice if you tripped on your feet or stepped on his toes a few times.</p><p>Jun took your left hand and draped the other over your hip. Your bodies pressed flush against each other. You rocked rhythmically to the ballad playing in the background and let the music take over for you. He took the lead and never looked back. You had to admit, he was doing a pretty good job of not making you look like a weirdo.</p><p>When the song ended, you decided you needed to talk with Kuroo. You’d already missed your usual timing for your date nights. You thought punishing him would make you feel better, but if anything, it made you more anxious. You snatched your phone from your purse and gave Jun a quick excuse before you headed for the double doors that led to one of the many patios surrounding the ballroom.</p><p>No one was around. The temperature dropped and you shuddered at the way the chill seeped into your bones. You hit the unlock button and tried not to count the long list of missed calls. You hit Kuroo’s number and waited for him to pick up.</p><p>It only rang once before he did. You were relieved to hear his voice.</p><p>“Tetsurou!”</p><p>“Where the hell have you been? I didn’t hear from you and then all of a sudden, I got this weird text about how I never gave you an answer? Then you skipped out on our date?”</p><p>You were a little shaken by his raised voice. “What? You’re the one who’s been ghosting <em>me,</em> not the other way around.”</p><p>“You missed our movie night. Why is it so loud? Are you seriously at another party? Oaklynn told me that you went out with her friends and got wasted.”</p><p>You knew part of his anger stemmed from worry. It still pissed you off. “Why are you the one getting mad at me? I should be the one getting all butthurt here. I texted you days ago about something and you never responded. I thought you were mad at me.”</p><p>“What? When did you text me?”</p><p>You were furious. You pulled up the chat log and zeroed in on the exact time and date, rattling it off so he could confirm. “I asked you if it was okay for me to go to prom with a new friend. You never said anything. It says you read it.”</p><p>Kuroo was silent for a few seconds. He was probably scrolling through his messages for the evidence to stare him right back in the face. “I don’t remember seeing it.”</p><p>“Well, you did. And then you left me on read for almost two days. I thought you were mad and decided to give you some space. Why haven’t I heard from you? I was waiting all this time, I even asked Kenma and Yakkun if you were okay and they said you were fine.”</p><p>He still didn’t have an answer for you. It made your heart sink.</p><p>“Tetsurou? Where have you been these last few days?”</p><p>“I’ve been working on a school project,” he said finally. “My partner and I have been meeting up pretty much every day trying to get the jump on it. She knows that I’m trying to get a decent grade so I can go to the summer training camp.”</p><p> Something in your gut twisted. It was an ugly feeling and one you knew all too well. It took you back to that moment where you saw Aiko and Kuroo exchanging numbers and you stormed off like a child to throw a tantrum. You seethed with jealousy.</p><p>“<em>She</em>?” you spat. “You’ve been blowing off my texts for another girl?”</p><p>“Are you serious? It’s not like that,” he defended himself. “Like I said, we’ve been busy on the project. I must have seen your texts and then forgotten to respond to them.”</p><p>“For almost <em>three days</em>?” You did not like how the anger festered inside of you. Your vision was tinged with red and you tried to stop it from swallowing you whole, just like the possessiveness inside of you. “You didn’t think to text me? You just assumed that you responded and that was it? You never even confirmed with me we still had a date, then you had the nerve to get mad at <em>me</em> for it?”</p><p>Kuroo stammered. “I got your text about needing an answer. I swear I didn’t read the other messages. And <em>you</em> didn’t answer my question. Why didn’t you tell me about what happened the other night? You lied to me.”</p><p>Your mood got worse with his accusation. In truth, you were disgusted with yourself for concealing what really happened. You didn’t think he would find out. You wanted to forget about everything from that night.</p><p>“So you <em>wanted</em> me to tell you about how a bunch of girls I’d never met before pushed alcohol on me? And how I got harassed by some fucking creep? Or that I got so drunk I nearly passed out and had to be bedridden for like three days because of my hangover? I didn’t want to worry you, okay?”</p><p>“Well, that’s messed up.” Kuroo inhaled deeply on the other end. “You’re just doing the same thing over and over again. You assume that you don’t need to keep me in the loop about this stuff. You promised you would stop hiding things from me. I asked you that night if you had fun and you said yes. Of course I’m going to worry about you, I’m your boyfriend, I should know about these things. Do you <em>still</em> not trust me?”</p><p>You were so over this conversation. You weren’t sure where it all went wrong, but he was ruining the streak of good vibes you had. For the first time since your trip started, you felt like you found people you could get along with. You weren’t terrified or anxious or lonely. All of that was now tainted with Kuroo’s outright confession that he had blown you off to hang out with another girl.</p><p>School project or not, he was so invested in <em>her</em> that he forgot all about you. You were hurt. Betrayed. You wanted to sob into the phone that it wasn’t fair of him to do that to you. You were constantly paranoid that someone else would move in for him the moment you left Japan and he wasn’t doing anything to ease those fears.</p><p>“I’m at prom, just like I <em>asked</em> you about two days ago,” you snapped. “I gave you the rundown. It’s not my fault you didn’t bother to read it. I was having a good night. Congrats, you officially ruined it. Enjoy your little date nights with your new girlfriend since you obviously don’t need me anymore.”</p><p>You hung up the call. You angrily got rid of the notifications from him. Missed calls, texts, all of it. Your heartbeat was loud and heavy in your ears. You could feel your blood boil. Your teeth grinded against each other and you resisted the urge to fling your phone out into the overgrown vegetation outside.</p><p>It took a second for you to absorb everything that went down between you. When you realized the severity of the situation, thick tears flowed down your cheeks. You couldn’t stop them. You wiped them away on the back of your hand and all you had to show for it was smeared mascara and eyeliner along your skin. You draped yourself over the balcony and clawed at your chest. You couldn’t breathe. You were suffocating. You gasped and gasped and no amount of air you took in was enough.</p><p>In the darkness you saw a figure move towards you. It was Jun. You wanted to shy away from him. You knew you looked like a mess and you were pathetic for getting this worked up. You wanted to help him have a good time and now he had to babysit you.</p><p>He didn’t leave any room for argument. He urged you to take a seat on the bench and talked you down, encouraging you to take deep, even breaths. When you weren’t struggling anymore, he handed you the glass of water he brought over. You brought the cool glass to your lips and concentrated on swallowing it down.</p><p>“I’m really sorry. I overheard some of what you said. When I heard you raise your voice, I thought maybe someone was out there bothering you.” He looked sympathetic given what he knew of the situation. “We don’t have to talk about any of it, it’s none of my business. Just let me know if there’s anything I can do.”</p><p>You were so frustrated with yourself and Kuroo. You were frustrated with how immature you were being and how inconsiderate he was. It hurt so much. You hated fighting with him in the first place, not to mention that you were halfway across the world from each other. You felt guilty for blowing up on him and adding more stress to his life.</p><p>Once you calmed down, you stared across the way and realized that it had been decorated. The entire courtyard had fairy lights strung up and they lit up the cobblestone paths. The centerpiece was a grand fountain, the reflection of the water sparkling.</p><p>Jun stood and shrugged his jacket off to drape it over your shoulders. It still retained his residual body heat and shielded your shoulders from the bitter wind. You sank into its comforting embrace. His cologne smelled nice.</p><p>When he returned, he had a plate full of desserts. Included was a small dipping bowl filled to the brim with melted chocolate. You gazed at the assortment of fruits, cake and pie slices in mild confusion.</p><p>“You were looking at the fountain down there and it reminded me about the chocolate one inside.” He held a fork out to you and didn’t wait before he dug in himself.</p><p>You ate in silence. You were thankful he didn’t push you for more information. You could hear the thrum of the bass just beyond the doors that led back to the ballroom. Muffled words and laughter erupted from girls and guys alike. You could see several people down below head toward the parking lot, girls shucking off their heels so they could let their feet recover from tearing up the dance floor.</p><p>You dug through your purse and were thankful that you brought some makeup wipes with you. There was no use in pretending your face was salvageable at this point. Hey Cinderella, the clock already struck midnight. Get your ass back to the fireplace and learn your place.</p><p>“I look like a mess,” you muttered, staring at your reflection in the compact mirror. “Shit.”</p><p>“You really don’t. But don’t let Devon hear you say that. It’s just going to get his nickname for you to stick.”</p><p>You were exasperated by the name. Hot Mess. It was painfully accurate. “I don’t know how he picked up on me being a disaster with just one meeting, but he’s a good judge of character.”</p><p>“I…think you’re missing the point. Emphasis on the ‘hot’, not ‘mess’.” Jun chuckled. “It’s his way of saying he thinks you’re hot.”</p><p>You scoffed. “Good one.”</p><p>Jun’s brows knit together. You tried not to look at him. You were worried he would see through your offhanded comment for what it really was: self-deprecation. He didn’t push the issue.</p><p>“As much as I’d like to take you home, I think we should end this on a good note. So…” He scooted closer to you and pulled out a pair of wired headphones sticking out from his phone. “I’m gonna show you a bunch of videos of Devon making an ass out of himself.”</p><p>You didn’t think it would cheer you up as much as it did. Devon was a huge geek. He went on an impassioned rant to someone about how the fight between two anime characters was “a load of horseshit”. There was also a video of him clearly drunk and trying so hard to tie his shoes. He ended up crying at his friends not to leave him as he sat down on the sidewalk to try to do it himself. He also got stuck in a tunnel slide at a playground. It took the jaws of life to free him which was hands down the funniest of them all.</p><p>“What are you guys doin’ out here?” Speak of the devil. Devon leaned over Jun’s shoulder and his eyes narrowed at the screen. “What the fuck?”</p><p>“Just going through the initiation ritual,” Jun laughed. “You guys ready to go?”</p><p>“Actually, we rented a room at the Hilton.” Aniyah didn’t look perturbed at all that she was basically putting their business out there. “Can you guys drop us off?”</p><p>After getting them to the hotel, you and Jun rode in comfortable silence. He parked the car and decided to escort you back to the front door so you could say your goodbyes. You realized you were still clinging to his jacket and slipped it off so you could hand it back to him.</p><p>“Thanks for being so cool and coming with me. I did have a good time with you.”</p><p>You rubbed your arm. “Really? Because I thought it was pretty sad that you saw me absolutely lose it.”</p><p>“We’re even, now.” He was right about that. You witnessed his breakup and now he managed to catch a glimpse of your fight with Kuroo.</p><p>You sighed and shot him a tired smile. “Sure. Drive safe.”</p><p>“Will do. We should hang out again soon. G’night.” He turned heel and headed back toward the car. When he was seated and buckled in, he waved at you before taking off.</p><p>Luckily for you, Oaklynn’s parents were in their room when you walked in. They were probably waiting for you to get back and decided to give you some space as you got ready for bed. You took it as a boon and were quick to complete your nighttime routine. The adrenaline faded and you were left with the desire to crawl into bed and sleep for the next twenty-four hours.</p><p>You unlocked your phone and didn’t see any messages or missed calls from Kuroo since your argument. You weren’t sure how to feel about that. You opened up your group chat with the other three and scrolled through the long list of pictures you’d taken together.</p><p>You selected the few you liked the most and uploaded them to social media. Was it petty of you? Maybe. You didn’t care. You tagged everyone and wrote some kind of generic caption that no one would be bothered to read. Feeling accomplished, you plugged your phone in and turned over in bed to get back to sleep.</p>
<hr/><p>Kuroo got the notification as soon as it was posted. He halfway expected it to be a message from you. He frowned when he realized it was a series of pictures instead. He opened up the app and zeroed in on them.</p><p>He marveled for a moment at your appearance. You’d looked more alive in that picture than he’d seen in weeks. You were in the middle of a hard laugh. You didn’t shrink away despite the outfit you wore, either. He raked his eyes over the others. He had no idea who they were, but it was obvious those two were a couple given how much they were hanging all over each other.</p><p>He went down to the next picture and his body went numb. It was you and some random guy. Who <em>was</em> that? He had his arm slipped around your waist. Your dress matched the flower tucked in his jacket pocket. The stranger’s expression was relaxed. So was yours.</p><p>His heart pounded in his chest as he went to the next one. It was you and the same guy, this time pressed together and dancing. The guy must have said something to you because you had this bright smile on your face, one that Kuroo could’ve sworn was reserved for him alone. He used his index finger and thumb to enlarge the image and zoom in on you.</p><p>Before he could do anything else, his phone rang. He picked it up without thinking twice about it.</p><p>“Did you see those pictures she just posted?” Yaku shouted before he could even get a word in. “Why is she hanging all over some random guy?”</p><p>Kuroo pulled the phone away from his ear. It kept vibrating. He saw several messages flit across the screen. It happened so rapidly that the dull hum of his phone made it difficult to hear what else Yaku was saying.</p><p><em>WTH, WHO IS THAT WITH HER? DID U GUYS BRAKE UP???! ANSWER ME ASAP!!!!!! </em>Bokuto.</p><p>A screenshot with a giant red circle drawn around the stranger in question. <em>who??? </em>Kenma.</p><p><em>Hello. Is everything OK? I checked out the newest set of pictures and I didn’t recognize who she was with. Can you fill me in? </em>Akaashi.</p><p><em>I keep trying to call you and it’s going straight to voicemail – I’m worried! Please call me back! </em>Minoru.</p><p>“Are you there?” Yaku’s voice sounded so far away. “Hey! Say something!”</p><p>Kuroo fell back onto his mattress and stared at the ceiling. The incredulous cries from his friend were drowned out by the crescendo of static crackling in his head. He saw the world around him melt away until he was surrounded by nothing but the crushing weight of his own thoughts.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>When I showed this chapter to my girlfriend she got super salty and ranted at me for ten minutes about how angry she was at Kuroo. LOL.</p><p>So, who do y'all think is in the wrong here? I'm curious!</p><p>Stay safe, happy holidays and have a great week!</p>
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<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Inevitable</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The seasons are changing. You are, too.</p>
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    <p>"Kuroo, before you leave, I need to speak with you."</p><p>Kuroo already had his backpack slung over his shoulder and zeroed in on the doorway that exited the classroom. He was in such a daze that he hadn't noticed his homeroom teacher until she was right in front of him. He stepped backwards to avoid running into her and let out a sheepish smile when she appraised him with furrowed brows.</p><p>"Sure. What's up?"</p><p>She crossed her arms. Even with her smaller stature she was intimidating. "I've noticed you've been distracted lately."</p><p>His smile faded instantly. His gut twisted. He thought he was playing it cool this entire time. "That obvious, huh?"</p><p>She had a paper in her hand and lifted it up so he could peer at it. He recognized his own handwriting and the failing score marked in red across the hastily scribbled answers. "I've never known you to flunk any of my tests. In fact, you're always getting some of the best scores compared to your classmates. Is something going on at home?"</p><p>He hesitated to answer. It was complicated. <em>Life</em> was complicated right now. You hadn't spoken in nearly a week. He was swamped with poring over research materials, analyzing various professional volleyball games, working himself to the bone in sharpening his skills, and now he had fallen behind in several classes. He didn't even study for the exam and knew going into it that he was fucked. He just didn't have the energy to care too much.</p><p>"Everything's...fine at home," was all he offered her. "It's just a lot. You know how it is - school, sports."</p><p>"Girls?" She sighed and let her hand drop to her side so that the offending grade wasn't directly in his vision any longer. "I know you're at that age where it seems like there's nothing more important, but I need you to look ahead a little bit."</p><p>He was mortified. Not only had his teacher cornered him, but now she was going to give him a talk about hormones and keeping it in his pants? He could feel the tips of his ears turn red and wished that someone would pull the damn fire alarm. At least then he'd have an excuse to hurl himself out the window behind him.</p><p>"I know it's none of my business, and I wouldn't invite myself into your personal affairs. But you <em>are</em> my student and I <em>am</em> worried about you. You haven't been getting enough sleep lately, have you? Every day you come in here with dark circles."</p><p>A lot of his nights were disrupted with his own intrusive thoughts. He found himself stalking your profile on social media for any and all updates. When he did see them, it only made him feel worse. Then he couldn't even bring himself to go back to sleep.</p><p>"Sorry," he muttered. "I'm trying to prioritize. I swear."</p><p>"If you need help, ask for it." She stepped to the side and he could see freedom within his grasp. "I don't want to see another score like this again. I mean it. If I do, then your coach and I are going to have a conversation."</p><p>He muttered a goodbye and rushed out the classroom door. Students walked through the halls without a care in the world, excitedly talking about their upcoming summer break. He peered at a few well-known couples standing close and flirting. It filled him with a combination of disgust and envy. He was so tired. He wanted things to go back to normal. Whether it was his stupid pride or his insecurity, he couldn't bring himself to answer the phone when you tried to call him.</p><p>The only saving grace was that you hadn't bothered to let your mutual friends know that you were still in the midst of an argument. The day when you posted those pictures of you at prom, everyone came at him all at once. He explained it was nothing and most of them backed off, though still wary of the new guy you'd befriended. Yaku in particular was still unconvinced. He was one of the pushiest guys Kuroo knew when it came to your relationship with him.</p><p>Kuroo knew that avoiding his problems with you wasn't going to solve anything. It would make things worse in the long run. When the mess with Mr. Dobashi came to light, he hid himself because he was overwhelmed with jealousy and doubt. </p><p>Those same feelings crept up on him. He was too scared to talk with you over the phone and hear the news straight. Your text said you were a stand-in for the guy's ex-girlfriend. That was...whatever, fine. But those <em>pictures</em>? That didn't look like a friendly dance. It hurt a lot to see you having so much fun and putting yourself out there with another guy. Maybe someone with more experience would suit you better after all. </p><p>He still had about ten minutes to kill before he had to get to practice. He sat against the wall behind the school in a spot that he'd recently found to have a few moments to himself. He needed space from his friends. As helpful as they tried to be, sometimes their advice and constant check-ins were too much.</p><p>He drew his knees up and buried his face in them. He was too anxious to look at his phone to see yet another message or missed call from you. He was such a coward.</p><p>"Umm...hi."</p><p>Kuroo glanced up and recoiled inwardly. It was Akari. Seriously? He didn't want to talk to anyone right now.</p><p>"I saw you come over here and actually wanted to ask you about the paper, but I can see you're busy, so..." She paused. "Hey, are you okay? I noticed you've been kind of down lately."</p><p>He didn't want to involve her in his problems. "Ah...just...you know..."</p><p>She sighed. "I heard some of the girls in class talking. You're dating someone who's overseas, right?"</p><p>Sheesh. No one seemed to mind their own business now. "Yeah, that's right."</p><p>"If you want, I can try to give you some advice?" She fumbled with one of the braids that hung over her shoulders, the bright red bows near the base matching her school uniform. "I'm actually in a long-distance relationship, too."</p><p>That piqued his interest. "Seriously?"</p><p>"Mmhmm." She dropped her bag and approached him with her phone in hand. She pressed the lock button and flashed him a picture. It was her and a guy who was clearly a few years older than her. Kuroo tried not to judge, though he silently thought it was a little weird that someone his age would still be dating a girl in high school. "We've been together for like, four months now? He started classes in the spring. We'd really only dated for like a month before he left. But we're doing great."</p><p>He felt a little better, even if your circumstances were vastly different. "Oh, uh...cool."</p><p>"So I know what it's like to feel lonely or anxious about the person you love being so far away." She settled down next to him on the ground. "Are you worried about her cheating on you or something?"</p><p>"She'd never do that to me. I know she wouldn't..." he trailed off. "Just hard to believe sometimes. Especially when she's got this new guy hanging over her all the time."</p><p>"If you're scared about it, then you should talk to her." She leaned forward so she could force his eyes on her. "I'm sure she's worried about the same thing."</p><p>"Yeah, kind of why we got into an argument," he muttered. "I mentioned you and she kind of freaked out."</p><p>"Oh..." She seemed a little embarrassed. "Well, if you want, I can talk to her and tell her there's nothing going on and I'm dating someone. If it'll help?"</p><p>"I don't know." He exhaled and leaned back on his arms. His neck craned toward the brilliant blue sky. "She's tried to reach out to me. It's not like I don't trust her. She's never even looked at another guy. She just doesn't see how <em>they</em> look at <em>her.</em>"</p><p>"It's okay to be jealous and to feel insecure, <em>especially</em> because you guys can't really talk face to face. But it's not okay to push <em>her</em> away because you're scared that she's pushing <em>you</em> away. Does that make sense?"</p><p>"Uh...yeah, it does." He felt a little silly when she worded it that way. "I really messed up last week. I missed her text and we didn't talk for a few days. I kind of blew up on her about some other stuff I found out about...it's just hard keeping track of stuff like this. I should've called her. I didn't think about it. School is crazy, I've got volleyball...doesn't excuse me blowing her off, though."</p><p>"I think you should tell <em>her</em> this, not me." She patted his shoulder affectionately. "You should probably get to practice. I think I heard your friends calling for you. And don't worry, Kuroo. Lots of people don't think they can make long-distance work, but it <em>is</em> possible, okay?"</p><p>He watched her go and realized she left behind a big stack of papers with highlighted sections and several questions she wanted to ask him. He tucked it into his bag and drew himself up from the ground. He had to dust himself off - figuratively and literally. He would talk to you as soon as he could. He hoped that you didn't hold too big of a grudge with him for it.</p>
<hr/><p>"Still no answer, huh?"</p><p>You shook your head and gazed at the message you'd sent off yesterday. You really didn't want to keep pursuing Kuroo like this, but you were so tired of the radio silence. You hated when he did things like this. For the most part he was so cool and chill, but when he lost it, he <em>lost</em> it. He got so overwhelmed that he kind of shrunk into himself and shut you out. Although you didn't necessarily blame him, it was still frustrating.</p><p>"I'm sure he'll get in touch with you soon. The time difference is crazy." Aniyah sipped at her drink and peered across the room. </p><p>It was packed so far. Who would've thought this little cafe would hold some of the best music performances in the city? So you'd been told, anyway. A lot of people were antsy from the caffeine pumping through their systems as they waited for the show to begin.</p><p>"Does Jun ever get nervous performing?"</p><p>"Oh, yeah. Big time. Especially since you're here. He's used to doing a lot of his recording at home in his basement. He's not big on crowds. But he was asked to play weeks ago and I convinced him it would be nice to make an event of it."</p><p>The lights dimmed and you were excited to see Jun as he walked on stage. He positioned himself in front of the microphone as the lights trained on him. From here you could see how nervous he was. He scanned the crowd and found you in the front row. You gave him an encouraging wave. The tension eased out of his shoulders and he shot you a lopsided smile.</p><p>You watched his fingers work up and down the neck of his electric guitar, the bright red pick gleaming as he plucked each note with care. You listened with rapt attention to the croon of his voice as it reverberated through the huddled groups of fans who came to see him perform. His playing and singing were both phenomenal and that was the honest truth. His lyrics conveyed a deep longing without being too sappy. You stared at him and nearly lost yourself when you realized that your phone was vibrating on the table.</p><p>When you saw the contact name, you snatched it and took off without a word. Aniyah was surprised to see you haul ass out the front door. You would have to apologize to her later for not being able to finish watching Jun's set. The people around you didn't even blink when you excused yourself and brushed past them so you could burst out into the muggy night air and answer the call.</p><p>"Tetsurou?" you murmured.</p><p>"Hey..." His voice sounded strained on the other end, awkward. You'd never heard him like this before. "Do you have time to talk?"</p><p>"Yeah, of course. I was waiting to hear from you." Your heart was stuttering in your chest. You missed his voice so much. Going from daily chats to no word at all was harder than it should've been. "Are you okay? I mean...like, nothing happened, right? I asked the others to make sure. I'm sorry I've been blowing up your phone, I just wanted to talk to you."</p><p>He paused on the other end. "I'm the one who should be apologizing, you know? I got heated last time and acted crazy. I hate not talking to you. It sucks."</p><p>"Tell me about it. Who else am I going to bug about Paolo leaving the TV volume on 17 all of the time? It's evens or multiples of 5's! How hard is that?"</p><p>You broke into laughter together. It felt so nice to hear it again, even if it was over the phone.</p><p>"I really miss you, Tetsurou."</p><p>"I miss you, too. I'm sorry I blanked out on the whole texting thing."</p><p>"You don't have to apologize, seriously. I should've called or texted you, too. I was just worried that you might've been like, annoyed with me for bugging you too much. I don't want you to constantly have to worry about checking up on me. I guess I kind of made that inevitable with my last freakout."</p><p>Kuroo paused for a moment to get his bearings. "Listen. About the project partner...there's nothing going on between us."</p><p>"Ugh, I know..."</p><p>"No, listen." He ran a hand through his hair and squeezed his eyes shut. "I've given you a lot of reasons to be jealous over the past few years. I mean, I won't go into detail, but I've been kinda oblivious when it comes to girls and how it might hurt your feelings. That's why I wanted to tell you straight up that there's nothing between me and my partner. I'm not interested in her at all. She's also dating someone, too. She seems like a cool girl, but I don't see us becoming close friends or anything. You don't have to be worried."</p><p>"I appreciate it, but you shouldn't have to reassure me so much...like, it's a relief, but also makes me feel guilty. You're allowed to have friends who are girls, not letting you would make me a psycho. It's just hard because you, well, you're so..." You gestured wildly even though he couldn't see it. "And I still second guess myself a lot."</p><p>"It's not just you..." Kuroo tried to find the right way to express this to you. "When I saw those pictures of you and that guy--"</p><p>"Fuck." You covered your face with a hand. "Listen, that was a super dick move."</p><p>"Wait, lemme finish. When I saw those pictures of you two, it kinda just hit me all at once. I've felt jealous before, but nothing like that. I think I finally understood how you must feel all the time when we're out in public and someone hits on me. And it sucked. Big time. It doesn't help that I got ripped apart by everyone because they thought I'd managed to piss you off bad enough to dump me."</p><p>"It's not like that between us, either. He's cool. I like hanging out with him. But he's not <em>you</em>." You felt a little silly confessing this to him in public, but were reminded that the probability of anyone being able to understand you was slim to none. "You're my favorite person in the whole world. And don't ever say that to anyone else because I will deny it. Because we're not just boyfriend and girlfriend, you're my <em>best friend</em>. And yeah, I have other best friends like Kenma. It's different, though."</p><p>"I get what you mean. So...what now?"</p><p>You thought about it. "Now...I think I don't want to have another fight with you until I come home and I can push you over in person. We've been apart for what, like a month? I wasn't expecting us to be so...crazy after just a short time of being apart. It's dumb."</p><p>"Yeah. I don't know. It got thrown at us all at once. I guess it was bound to happen."</p><p>You were about to respond when you saw that Jun had come out of the coffee shop to look for you. You put your phone against your chest and realized you split right in the middle of his set. He didn't seem angry. If anything, he was relieved when he ran over and found you leaning against a nearby telephone pole.</p><p>"I saw you take off and got worried about you. Was my playing that bad?" he joked, though the mirth didn't quite reach his eyes.</p><p>"No! No, dude, you were amazing. I was loving it. I just got a call from Tetsurou and I had to take it."</p><p>"It's all good." He stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned forward. "Is he on the line right now? Did I interrupt?"</p><p>"Oops." You picked the phone back up. "You still there?"</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"Jun was looking for me and I just let him know I was okay."</p><p>Kuroo chuckled. "It's too bad he's not fluent. I'd love to bend his ear about all kinds of embarrassing faux pas you've made since you got to the States."</p><p>"Oh my god! Shut up. Neither of you are ever talking about that."</p><p>"I'll let you get back to what you were doing. Let's uh...talk later?"</p><p>"Um, yeah. You can't get rid of me now." You chuckled. "I'm going to stay up until five in the morning giving you an update on everything you missed."</p><p>"So long as you don't tell Yakkun about it. I don't want him nagging at me about interrupting your precious sleep schedule."</p><p>You ended the call and couldn't stop the giddy smile that blossomed across your face. Everything was so much brighter. The world didn't seem as oppressing. You had the person you loved back in your life one way or another. Misunderstandings were bound to happen, you knew that. Couples had disagreements and fights. This was the longest it'd lasted, but it was still so much better than the alternative - where you took a break from each other. You clutched the phone to your chest and savored the way your heart pounded in your chest. </p><p>"Everything okay?" Jun asked. "You didn't have to end it so soon, especially since you guys just made up."</p><p>"It's cool. He and I will talk later." You were a little bashful at how you must have been glowing with lingering affection for your boyfriend. "Did you finish your set?"</p><p>He nodded. "It went well. I got kinda rattled up there, but seeing you helped. It gave me someone to focus on." He reached back and palmed the tuft of dark hair at the base of his neck. "You've just got this really calming presence about you. Plus, the performance was kind of a way to show off, so I was more interested in your reaction than everyone else's."</p><p>"Well, it was amazing," you reassured him, enjoying the way the tension eased from his shoulders. "You have a really nice voice, it doesn't need any kind of editing at all. You should perform live more often. And your playing was insane, I can’t believe you’re self-taught.”</p><p>“Thanks…I don’t know what to say.” He gestured back to the café. “Did you want to go back inside? Devon finally showed up so he and Aniyah are going to watch the rest of the show. Or I can take you home so you can get back to your boyfriend.”</p><p>You didn’t want to cut your time with your friends short. It wouldn’t be cool to dip out on them just so you could run home and play catch up with Kuroo. You had all night.</p><p>“It’s okay. Let’s go back in. I should probably buy one of your albums. Will you autograph it for me?”</p><p>He grinned. “Yeah. Promise not to sell it on eBay or something?”</p><p>“Whaaat? I wouldn’t do that, dude.”</p><p>You did watch the rest of the show and though it was impressive, Jun’s performance was still your favorite by far. You couldn’t wait to see him play again. You hung around for about half an hour while he spoke with some people who stopped by to grab some of his CDs and talk with him about how he did. You could tell he was a little shy having so much attention put on him.</p><p>He slung the guitar case over his shoulder as you exited the café. You parked blocks away and it would be a long trek back.</p><p>You and Jun hung back so you could give Aniyah and Devon some space. It didn’t take long before they stopped and turned to face you.</p><p>“We’re gonna split, guys. Aniyah just reminded me about this party happening not too far from here and I’m thirsty, so…” Devon swept his eyes over you. “We’ll catch a ride home later.” He tossed his car keys in Jun’s direction and he caught it effortlessly. He must have been used to Devon pulling that stunt; he did the same thing with your phone when you first met. “See ya.”</p><p>You watched them leave and exhaled. “Do they always ditch you like this?”</p><p>“Kind of.” He shot you a half-hearted smile. “They know I don’t really like parties, so they don’t bother inviting me anymore. Oh, uh…you didn’t want to go, did you?”</p><p>“No.” You didn’t want to indulge as to why. “It just sucks that they do their own thing all the time and don’t include you. I think they’re cool, and I love hanging out with them, but I noticed it and it does bother me.”</p><p>You hoped Jun wouldn’t become defensive. He didn’t seem the type, but the three had been friends for a long time. “No, you’re right. It does get old sometimes. I guess I never really noticed since I’m usually dating someone.”</p><p>Your pace was more languid without the other two. It was nice out and you could admire the cityscape without feeling too rushed. People walked by and didn’t pay you any attention. It was somewhat freeing being in such a crowded place. In most cases you would have felt like you stuck out too much and people judged you for it. Maybe you were finally desensitized or too distracted to worry about that kind of thing in present company.</p><p>“Hey Jun…if you don’t mind me asking, why is it that you’ve had so many girlfriends?” When you realized what you said, you knew you should’ve shut your mouth. You hadn’t known each other too long in the grand scheme of things. His love life wasn’t something for everyone to critique.</p><p>He wasn’t offended at all. If anything, he looked like he was happy to talk about it. “I don’t know. I think I fall way too hard and easy. I want that kind of real love, you know? The kind that consumes you. But the girls I’m with don’t feel the same way, so they think I’m just being weird or clingy. I don’t think I am.”</p><p>His idea of what love was sounded a little frightening. You didn’t think you felt that way about Kuroo. Sure, there were times when you were so overwhelmed, excited, and terrified all at once. It never got to the point where you felt tortured when he wasn’t nearby. Being so far away did hurt. It did leave a gaping wound that you had to deal with every day. That was after years of you knowing each other, though. The girls in Jun’s life were people he barely knew.</p><p>“You think I’m weird too, right?” He shot you a knowing look. “It’s okay. I’m used to it. I think for me, love is something you lose yourself in. Where you don’t want to do anything but live for the other person.”</p><p>“But don’t you feel like that’s a little unhealthy? I mean…love isn’t about sacrificing everything to make someone else happy. It’s about working together and supporting each other. I don’t think that true love is about losing your individuality. That would be more like…obsession. Or putting someone on a pedestal. And not only does that leave you kind of at risk of hurting yourself for their sake, but it can be really uncomfortable for someone to be treated like they can’t do anything wrong. You won’t grow otherwise.”</p><p>You bit your lip. Shit. You must’ve made him uncomfortable. You were trying to speak from experience, but it was none of your business.</p><p>Jun brought a hand up to brush away the rebellious lock that liked to settle over his ear. He shot you a sideways look and you were shocked to see a warm smile on his face. “Thanks.”</p><p>“Um…for what?”</p><p>“For being honest with me. Aniyah dances around the subject and Devon calls me stupid for dating around. Even if I don’t really understand your perspective, it’s something to think about. I can tell you said what you did because you’re worried for me, so…thanks.”</p><p>You reached the car and listened to the radio on the drive home. You still felt lingering awkwardness from your conversation. Jun was unbothered. You mulled over his words. He was kind and sweet, but his views on love made him really vulnerable. If he opened his heart to the wrong person, they could tear him apart in the name of love and he would think that was normal. He was lucky that a lot of his girlfriends up until this point hadn’t abused him…at least the ones you knew of by word of mouth.</p><p>You could barely contain yourself when you parked. You unbuckled your seatbelt and hopped out the car. Jun walked alongside you to the front door and broke into gentle laughter when he saw you fumbling with the ends of your shirt.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Nothing, I just…it’s cute how excited you get when it comes to your boyfriend.” He crossed his arms and peered at you through those icy eyes. “I think girls are most beautiful when they’re in love, that’s all.”</p><p>You stammered. “Well…he’s been in my life for a really long time. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”</p><p>He nodded at you without another word. Once his back was turned, you rushed into the house and darted up the stairs. You shrugged off your purse and dove for your laptop. It felt like it took forever for it to boot up. You must’ve clicked the icon for Skype about a thousand times before it finally came up.</p><p>Kuroo was online. You started the call without even confirming with him over the phone. As soon as his face came on the screen, all of the tension from earlier melted away. Maybe this was the kind of thing Jun was trying to articulate, because it <em>did</em> feel like such a relief to see him. Were you obsessed with Kuroo? Probably. You didn’t see anything wrong with it, mostly because he had a goofy grin on his face that mirrored yours.</p><p>“Hey, gorgeous.”</p><p>“Pfft. Did you practice that line in the mirror, or what?”</p><p>He laughed. “That’s a Kuroo original, don’t you ever forget it.”</p><p>“Uh huh. So, lover boy, how have things been?”</p><p>Kuroo said that everything with his project was coming together so far. It was a lot more research than he thought it would take, but his partner was thorough about everything because she was a little bit of a perfectionist. Volleyball practice was great – he felt like they were making progress by encouraging teamwork. Good relationships between the club members were crucial for their future as a team.</p><p>“Sounds like everything’s pretty good. What about class and stuff?”</p><p>He shrugged it off. “Same old, same old. It’s nothing I can’t handle. I’m Kenma’s certified tutor for a reason.”</p><p>“Okay, okay.” You rested your hands underneath your chin and gazed at him. “You know I’m always super proud of you, Tetsurou. You’re always so good at managing your stress and you take things as they come. Like…you have a lot on your plate and you’re killing it. It’s just super cool, is all.”</p><p>He paused for a moment and you wondered if maybe the connection got disrupted. He bounced back before you knew it. “What can I say? I’m a guy of many talents.”</p><p>“Uh huh. Your humility is probably your best trait.” You leaned forward and kissed the screen. “There you go. Something to get you through the next few weeks. I can always top you up whenever you need it.”</p><p>You stayed up as long as you could so you could catch up. Kuroo seemed like he was in a good mood, though you did notice he seemed a little tired. His usual vibrant eyes looked dull and you had to repeat yourself a few times because he lost concentration. He reassured you that he was worn out from practice. That made sense. Given how hard he was being pushed on the team, you couldn’t imagine how many nights he spent trying to alleviate aching muscles and sore limbs.</p><p>“So when’s your project due?”</p><p>“A couple of weeks, right before break.”</p><p>“Oh, cool. We should set up a time to hang out when you’re not busy. I mean, I’ve pretty much got all the free time in the world.” You stretched your arms above your head and peered at the clock on the wall. You needed to get some rest. As much as you would’ve loved to stay awake, Kuroo looked dead on his feet.</p><p>He nodded and shot you a sleepy smile. “Alright. I’ll talk to you later, then.”</p><p>Before you could say your goodnight, the call ended. He must’ve not been feeling well at all. You shouldn’t have kept him distracted so long. You needed to learn to back off. You loved spending time with Kuroo, but you didn’t want your relationship to end up like Jun’s ideals. Kuroo needed his independence. You would smother him if you weren’t careful.</p><p>Even though you thought making up with Kuroo would make it easier to talk to him, it felt like the opposite was in effect. You never settled back into your nightly chats like you had before. You told yourself it was fine, Kuroo was in school, he had volleyball, he was swamped! It did suck when you reached out to him on the weekends, only to be rebuffed because he was working on his school project all the time.</p><p>Out of curiosity, you looked up the girl who Kenma said he was paired with. She was really pretty. A little bit of jealousy twisted in your gut at the numerous pictures she took of herself with her friends. She even made posts about going out to the library and grabbing drinks from the nearby café with her group partner. You did see a few hints of Kuroo in the background. He never jumped in to throw a peace sign up or stood right next to her, but it was still a little lonely to look at.</p><p>Days turned to weeks. You finally broke the silence and scheduled a movie date. Kuroo said he had no other commitments and he promised that it wouldn’t get in the way of anything. You spent the <em>entire week</em> looking forward to it.</p><p>You ran downstairs to stuff your face as quickly as you could. It was nice having a fully stocked kitchen all of the time. Even if you felt a little weird asking the maid to whip you up something when you were fully capable of cooking. She insisted, though, and you actually got along fairly well. You saw less and less of Oaklynn’s parents, only because they were so busy – so you were relieved that no one saw you pigging out before your date.</p><p>With dinner out of the way, you changed out of your sinfully comfortable pajamas and made the effort to get ready. You wanted to treat it like you were really out together, even if that seemed a little silly. The quality of the video wouldn’t capture the entirety of all the work you put into yourself, but you didn’t care.</p><p>Your phone rang and you picked it up. It was Jun. “Hey,” he started, “do you have plans tonight?”</p><p>You stared at yourself in the mirror and put away the container of lip gloss you’d been clutching for dear life. “Yeah, I’m going to video chat with Tetsurou.”</p><p>“Oh, cool! I’m glad he finally had a chance to take you up on some quality time.” Jun’s voice was always genuine. You felt terrible for rejecting his invitation, especially given how often he happened to be alone. “I’ll text you later, then.”</p><p>“Thanks. Bye!”</p><p>You locked the door – just in case because Paolo had no concept of personal space – and settled down on the bed. You tried to position yourself that was most flattering to your outfit. You kept combing through your hair and brushing down the fabric to tease out any wrinkles that decided this was their time to shine.</p><p>Kuroo was offline. You checked through your messages from everyone in Japan and watched a few videos to ease your nerves. It had been so long since spending one-on-one time with him that it felt like the first time all over again. You kept stealing glances at the time and became engrossed in social media.</p><p>Time passed. Fifteen minutes turned into thirty, then forty-five. You scrolled through the texts you exchanged with Kuroo the day before where you confirmed your date. His status on Skype and it said he was last seen days ago. You wondered if maybe he got caught up in something and was running late.</p><p>You hesitated in calling him even past the hour mark. You didn’t want to interrupt him. You fired off a text and it said it was delivered…but unread. You stared at the receipt and wondered if maybe his phone died? He was pretty good at charging it.</p><p>After another half hour of patiently waiting, you started to feel a little panicked. You double and triple checked your messages to make sure you got the date right. It would be just your luck if you got it all wrong. you confirmed that yes, you were supposed to be in the midst of a date right now. With how long it had been, you could’ve already finished an entire movie and moved on to your second one. He still hadn’t read your message. You pulled up his contact name and hit it, all the while your heart rising and settling at the base of your throat.</p><p>It rang once. Twice. Thrice. Four. Voicemail.</p><p>You exited out and hit it again.</p><p>Once. Twice. Thrice. Four. Voicemail.</p><p>You got more and more frustrated. You called him at least two more times before you gave up. When the voicemail prompt came up, you steeled yourself and tried to come up with the least confrontational message you could.</p><p>“Hey, Tetsurou…it’s me. Um…just wondering where you are. We had date night and it’s been a while, so…please call me back when you can. Okay. Love you…bye.”</p><p>You closed your laptop and huddled in bed. You couldn’t be bothered to focus on anything at all. Was it stupid of you to feel so…numb? Cold? You stared down at the tips of your fingers and realized they were freezing, probably from a combination of anxiety and panic. You brought them to your lips and breathed out warm air. The action caused a wave of fresh tears to spring to your eyes.</p><p>You pulled out your phone and thought about texting Kenma or Yaku about whether Kuroo was okay. You did. But…you knew he was fine. He just forgot about your date. You would’ve been the first one they would’ve informed if there had been an accident or something. You tended to catastrophize this kind of thing a lot and those intrusive thoughts were baseless and unhelpful.</p><p>For more your sake than his, you texted Kenma and asked him how he was doing. It was a benign question, meant to dig for information without being obvious. Kenma said he was hanging out and watching one of his favorite streamers play a game that was still in beta. Practice was fine. Kuroo was told today by the captain that he was in the running to be his replacement for next year. That was great news.</p><p>With your suspicions confirmed, you didn’t know what to do with yourself. You knew deep down it was an honest mistake. It still hurt. A lot. Half of you wanted to tear off your clothes and rub your skin raw trying to get the makeup off your face. The other half of you wanted to waste away where you were, curl up in a ball, and cry yourself to sleep.</p><p>You had no idea where he was or what he was doing. All you knew was that it was interesting enough, fun enough, that he chose it over time with you.</p><p>You wanted to talk to someone about what happened. It hurt too much to think about bringing this up to your mutual friends. Aniyah was kind enough and she would’ve talked you down, but she was busy tonight. That really only left one person.</p><p>“Hey, what’s up? You finished with your date already?” You hesitated to answer at first. It must have tripped him up because he called your name out. “You okay?”</p><p>“Um…so…Tetsurou forgot about our date…” The weight of your words hit you finally. You tried to keep it together but you could hear the trembling in your voice. “I…I don’t know what else to say.”</p><p>Jun took a moment to gather his thoughts. His next words were very kind and tender. “I can tell how much he cares about you, and you said he’s been really, really busy. I’m sure it just slipped his mind. Did you try getting in touch with him?”</p><p>“Yeah…he didn’t answer. I don’t know what he’s doing, but…” You sniffled. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be laying all of this on you. I didn’t know who else to call. Tetsurou and I share a lot of the same friends and I don’t want them to feel like they need to pick sides. They already ganged up on him before when we fought, and it isn’t fair to him. He never does anything wrong, I’m always the one messing up, so I can’t hold this against him when I make mistakes all of the time. He’s been an amazing boyfriend and it’s so messed up to be this upset over it.”</p><p>Jun listened to your rant and waited until he was sure you were finished speaking. “I think,” he began slowly, “that it’s perfectly fine to be disappointed. You were excited about tonight. You two have been dealing with the long-distance thing for a while now and it’s tough on both of you. You don’t have to blame yourself for being upset with him. I’m sure he’s been really good to you, but that doesn’t mean you’re never allowed to feel hurt by the mistakes he makes, even if they’re far and few between.”</p><p>You knew he was right. “Yeah. I…I’m kind of dramatic a lot of the time. I freak out, I’m jealous, I can be really bitter and petty. He’s dealt with me for so long and I don’t want him to feel like he has to be perfect.”</p><p>“I get you. So when you’re ready, you can talk to him about it. I’m just telling you that there’s nothing wrong with being upset. I would be, too. Are you gonna be okay?”</p><p>You rubbed your arm and shrank into yourself. “I will.”</p><p>“Well…I’m not busy right now. If it’s cool, we can watch a movie instead?”</p><p>You were grateful. Even if you didn’t video chat, because you didn’t want the added pressure of him seeing you a little distraught, having him on the phone while you synced up your movie was nice. It lifted your spirits a lot.</p><p>His words from earlier resonated with you. Kuroo wasn’t perfect and he would make mistakes like everyone else. He had his own problems to work through – like his reaction to the whole debacle with Mr. Dobashi. He was juggling so many things right now. Even though it hurt…a lot…you promised yourself you wouldn’t hold it against him. In the meantime, it wasn’t wrong of you to be disappointed in him. You had your hopes up and they were dashed. It was normal and you shouldn’t feel guilty for it, either.</p><p>You woke up in the middle of the night to your phone buzzing so hard that it nearly fell off the nightstand. You reached over and saw Kuroo’s contact picture, swiping over so you could answer the call.</p><p>“Hello?” you rasped, still in the throes of sleep.</p><p>“Shit, I’m sorry,” Kuroo spewed out before even greeting you. “I listened to your voicemail. I can’t believe I forgot about our date.”</p><p>“It’s…fine…” You weren’t awake enough to deal with this conversation.</p><p>He sounded so pained on the other line. “I didn’t mean to. I swear. Akari invited me out to study for our upcoming test and I told myself I would only stay for an hour or so. We were having so much fun that I lost track of time, then I totally blanked…I don’t know what happened. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”</p><p>Hearing her name stung. He told you before that he couldn’t picture himself getting close to her. Apparently, things had changed. Not that it was any of your business. He was allowed to have female friends. You weren’t going to devolve into that monstrous, green-eyed nightmare and guilt him into isolating himself from his classmates.</p><p>“Tetsurou, I’m really tired. We can talk about it later, okay?” You yawned and mumbled out a goodnight before ending the call. You didn’t give him a chance to respond. Truth be told, you were still sore about the whole thing and didn’t feel like speaking to him in the first place.</p><p>Kuroo texted you and you read through it the next morning. It was a series of more apologies about your missed date. You reassured him everything was fine and that you would just have to do a rain check.</p><p>You never did talk about it over the phone. His project got down to the wire and you were busy working during the week as Mr. Hinsen’s assistant. You sent text messages to each other that went read and unanswered for days at a time.</p>
<hr/><p>Summer break was in full swing for Nekoma and Fukurodani. They would have a few days of rest before gearing up to participate in the summer training camp. Kuroo’s days would be filled with volleyball, volleyball, and more volleyball. He would wake up early in the morning to practice and spend the entire day playing games against other schools. He was looking forward to it, especially given how he was preparing to take over as team captain for next year.</p><p>He finished packing his bag and went over a mental checklist to make sure everything was in order. He didn’t want there to be another incident like last year where he realized he only packed one pair of underwear. He did feel like something was missing, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.</p><p>This year Nekoma had rented a bus to get the entire team to the opposing school. He was looking forward to a quick power nap. He stayed up the night before watching reruns of pro volleyball games to prepare for today.</p><p>Kuroo looked down at Kenma and realized he was on his phone texting. He had one earbud in to listen to music and the other popped out so he could hear the coach shout orders. That and Tora always seemed to talk to him when he was blissfully unaware, then got annoyed when Kenma didn’t respond. It usually ended in the two of them getting into it.</p><p>“Hey, who’re you texting?”</p><p>Kenma muttered your name. “I sent her a picture of my hair and she said she liked it a lot. I was asking if it made me look like Sadako from <em>Ring</em>. She said no.”</p><p>Kuroo chuckled. Tora’s words really got to Kenma that day. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself by mirroring the appearance of a horror icon. He chose blond for a stark difference and ended up with a hairstyle that was…a lot more eye-catching than he probably thought he’d end up with.</p><p>“How’s she doing, by the way?”</p><p>Kenma’s brow furrowed and he gazed at Kuroo from the corner of his eyes. “Shouldn’t you know? She’s your girlfriend.”</p><p>“I know, I just…she just might tell you something new I don’t know about.”</p><p>Kenma didn’t look convinced. “When <em>is</em> the last time you texted her?”</p><p>“Just the other day, I think.” Kuroo fished out his phone from his pocket and opened up the message app. A lot of the more recent conversations were between him and Bokuto, Akari, Kenma and Yaku. He scrolled down to the very bottom of the list. Huh. He didn’t think he texted that much within the span of less than a week. When he opened it up and searched for the date, he was in stunned silence at what stared back at him.</p><p>“Well?”</p><p>Kuroo took a moment to compose himself. His last conversation with you had been two weeks ago. You asked him how the project was going. He never responded.</p><p>“Shit, shit…” He typed out a long paragraph that explained how he’d gotten down to the wire with it and how he had gotten a stellar grade thanks to his partner’s persistence. He apologized for taking so long to reply. He opened the message and must have forgotten to type out a response. He let you know that he was about to leave for the training camp and how he and you would have to schedule a time for a date as soon as he was finished.</p><p>Kenma saw the panic on his face and already deduced something was wrong. Kuroo hadn’t been talking about you as often as before. It was like your presence in his life had gotten less significant over time. He and Yaku already discussed how much it bothered them. Kuroo spent more time with them and his group partner than you.</p><p>“I, uh…I guess I forgot to reply to her.” Kuroo rubbed the back of his neck and tried not to show Kenma how guilty he really felt. “I need to set reminders or something.”</p><p>“You shouldn’t need to do that,” Kenma told him simply. “You’re treating her like an obligation.”</p><p>Kuroo bristled. Neither of them had ever gotten into a serious fight before. Both of their personalities were subdued, and they didn’t let their emotions get the better of them. But there was something almost…cold about the way that Kenma said that. It was as if he was scolding Kuroo. He wasn’t used to it being the other way around.</p><p>“You know it’s not like that.” Kuroo put his phone away and made a mental note to check his message as soon as practice was over later tonight. “It’s just been hectic.”</p><p>“I make time for her and she’s not <em>my</em> girlfriend.” Kenma’s distaste was heavily saturated in his words. “When’s the last time you guys went on a date?”</p><p>Kuroo honestly couldn’t remember. He closed his mouth and Kenma shot him a pointed look before heading for the bus stairs. Guilt blanketed over his entire body and his stomach twisted in discomfort.</p><p>His feelings didn’t last much longer after that, only because he immersed himself in practice. He didn’t have time to feel sorry for himself and wallow in self-pity. He had responsibilities as the future team captain. He pushed away all of his lingering thoughts on you and instead put that energy into beating the shit out of the rivaling schools.</p><p>At the end of the night, after a long, hot shower, Kuroo found an isolated corner so he could pull out his phone. He saw you sent him a message and read over it. Instead of typing something out, he found himself calling you.</p><p>After a few rings, you picked up. “Tetsurou?”</p><p>“Hey.” He was relieved that the familiar warmth of affection for you spread throughout the center of his chest. “Sorry I’ve been so hard to get in touch with. Is…everything okay?” What he meant to ask was, ‘Are we okay’? He didn’t have the courage to use those words instead.</p><p>“Yeah, everything’s cool. What about you?”</p><p>“Doing fine.” He searched for something to say. He had basically unloaded all of his updates on you earlier. “You still working as an assistant?”</p><p>“No, summer break already started, so I’m just trying to make the most of it while I have the time.” You let out a long sigh. “The weather has been really nice. Yesterday I went to the beach with my friends. Aniyah convinced me to wear a swimsuit underneath my shirt and shorts. I actually took my shirt off when I went swimming. It was really scary…but she was amazing, she had on this bikini and I couldn’t stop staring at her. I’m so jealous sometimes of how confident she is.”</p><p>He was disappointed. “You didn’t take any pictures?”</p><p>“I did, I just didn’t really feel like sending them to you…I mean, it would’ve been the middle of the night for you and I was afraid it would’ve woken you up.”</p><p>“That and it would’ve been a huge distraction,” he offered playfully. “I mean, sending me racy pics right before training camp? I probably would’ve taken a lot of volleyballs to the face.”</p><p>You laughed, though not as boisterous as he was going for. “I can send them to you later, if you want. Aniyah picked it out for me. It was cute. I got some good color, too. Jun forgot to put on sunscreen and he totally burned up.”</p><p>Kuroo’s smile eventually faded. “Oh, Jun was there too?”</p><p>“Yeah, it was just the four of us. The beach was crowded as hell but we found a nice spot where we could swim without being surrounded by so many bodies.”</p><p>It didn’t sit right with him. He felt disgusted with himself at how jealous he was. Jun saw you in a bathing suit before he did. He was ecstatic you’d gone out of your comfort zone, but that still stung.</p><p>“You mind if we switch to video for a little bit?”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>Kuroo was relieved when your image appeared on the screen. He felt a little choked up when he realized how much it still hurt that you weren’t here. He was distracted by a lot of other things in his life. Face to face with you, though, he was painfully aware of how much he longed for you to be with him. It left him a little breathless when you shot him a smile.</p><p>“You just took a shower?” You gazed at his flattened, damp hair. “You always manage to make yourself look good no matter what you do.”</p><p>He opened his mouth to respond when he heard a voice in the background. You turned your head away from the screen and said something he couldn’t understand. When you fixed your attention back on him, he cleared his throat.</p><p>“Paolo asking you to help him with something?”</p><p>“Oh, no.” You switched the camera around and pointed it to the back of the room. Jun was right there sitting behind you on a very cozy looking couch. He was dressed down and had his guitar in hand, scribbling down on a crumpled piece of staff paper.</p><p>Kuroo swallowed hard. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.”</p><p>“It’s cool. Jun is working on his new song and asked if I would keep him company.”</p><p>“So…you guys are where?”</p><p>“His house. Actually, his basement.” You walked around the room. “He and his dad finished it about a year ago and they turned it into a makeshift studio for him. His room is down here too.” You didn’t even hesitate when you grabbed the door handle. You opened it up and stepped inside, giving Kuroo a full view of his furnishings. You approached the dresser and picked up a stack of more sheet paper. “He’s got a lot of drafts in here. It’s really cool watching him work. Actually, he’s really excited about the one he’s writing right now. He said it was inspired by me.”</p><p>Kuroo’s face drained of all color. Did you even hear yourself? You were waltzing around some guy’s room like you belonged there, spewing a bunch of praise for him while he attempted to serenade you? He felt nauseous. What made it worse was the infuriating expression on your face. You were excited.</p><p>“Must be nice having a guy who’s so head over heels for you that he writes you a song. You’ll be immortalized or something.”</p><p>Your expression shifted instantly. “What are you talking about?”</p><p>“I’m just saying…most guy friends don’t write love songs for girls they just want to have as friends. You guys have been spending a lot of time together, right? Are you sure you haven’t been giving him mixed signals? You’re pretty familiar with his room.”</p><p>Your tone simmered just above the boiling point. “Jun and I are just friends, just like you and Akari are just friends. Unless you have something else you want to tell me.”</p><p>He swallowed his next words before he made things worse. “He dates around and you spend a lot of time alone with him. I’m just worried that he’s taking it the wrong way.”</p><p>“You know, Tetsurou, I don’t think you have any right to sit here and tell me whether I’m spending too much time with someone, especially when you haven’t bothered to contact me in weeks.” Your lower lip trembled. “I’ve been patient and trying to give you your space. My other two friends spend a lot of time together and Jun and I get along. And for your information, Jun has been really cool. He supports our relationship and he’s the one who helped me get through the last time you missed our date. He’s always reassuring me that you still care about me. He gives me hope about getting through this school year without you.”</p><p>There was no way his intentions were that pure. Not with the way he was practically hanging over you.</p><p>“You should be talking about those kinds of things with me. Your boyfriend. Not some dude you just met a few months ago.”</p><p>You scoffed. “How can I talk about these things when I can’t even get a hold of you half the time? I get it, dude, you’re busy, okay? You’ve got a lot on your plate. I’m trying to be understanding and give you your space. Now it feels like whenever we do have the chance to talk, all we do is argue about some stupid shit.”</p><p>Both of you went silent for a little while. Kuroo was stunned at how immature he was being. He knew a lot of this was because of him. He kept blowing you off because he thought that you would patiently wait for him. Even if you had more free time than he did, it wasn’t fair for him to assume that you were okay with days and even weeks without checking in on you.</p><p>“Look…” he muttered. “I don’t want to make up a bunch of excuses and make things worse. I think we really should sit down and talk about everything. Can we schedule something?”</p><p>“Yeah, fine.”</p><p>You picked a day and time. He added it to his phone calendar just in case. With the mood now tense and awkward, Kuroo wished he had never opened his big mouth.</p><p>“I’ll talk to you later, okay?”</p><p>You shrugged your shoulders. “Okay.”</p><p>Kuroo had trouble sleeping that night. He ran through the conversation in his head on a loop and couldn’t figure out where things went so wrong. He forced himself to shelve those thoughts so he could get through the rest of the week without his performance being affected.</p><p>The training camp came and went. The date of your talk rapidly approached. Kuroo made a list of things he wanted to bring up. He was going to refrain from insinuating that Jun had feelings for you. It wasn’t his place to say anything. Maybe he did have everything all wrong and it was just the insecurity and jealousy talking.</p><p>He was fresh out of the shower when his phone rang. When he looked at the contact information, he was surprised to see it was Akari. The two of them kept in touch since school ended for the break. They had been talking more about the problems with long-distance relationships and how hard it was to keep communication lines open. Kuroo was thankful there was at least one person who understood his perspective and didn’t make him feel like an asshole.</p><p>As soon as he answered, he was shocked to hear heavy sobbing on the other line.</p><p>“Kuroo,” she called out to him. “I’m freaking out. He was cheating on me! He was sleeping with other girls this whole time! When I confronted him about it, he said that he never agreed to be exclusive!” Her speech was so garbled and rapid he had difficulty understanding her at first.</p><p>“Wait, what? Your boyfriend?”</p><p>“Yes!” she wailed. “I saw pictures – pictures of him kissing another girl. A-and I called him out on it, and he s-said that he was…he wasn’t…he never said he would just date me! I asked him how many girls he slept with and how long, he said he hooked up with someone as soon as he landed!”</p><p>Kuroo’s heart raced. This was bad. He and Akari confided in each other about these fears all of the time. Hearing about this was like a blow to his own psyche.</p><p>“Calm down, Akari, it’s gonna be okay,” he uttered mechanically. “Just…take a few deep breaths. Where are you?”</p><p>“I-I’m in this alley. I don’t know where I am. I just started running…”</p><p>It was the middle of the night and she was by herself. Any creep wandering around outside would see her as an easy target. She was emotionally distraught and wouldn’t be able to fight anyone off in her state. He needed to get her home. “Alright. Just stay there. I’m on my way, alright? Can you share your location?”</p><p>He dashed out the door. The reminder on his phone flashed to life before eventually disappearing.</p><p>Kuroo didn’t get home until about three in the morning. After he found Akari, he talked her down and walked her home. She was a mess. Her heart had been shattered by a guy that she thought loved her. She was the one who gave him those encouraging words when he felt overwhelmed with the responsibility of maintaining his relationship. She reassured him that it was possible to keep dating someone who was overseas. Now her words had come back to bite her in the ass.</p><p>He would never forget her expression. She was taken advantage of by some creep who promised that he would wait for her. She had plans to graduate from Nekoma and go to school with him so they wouldn’t be apart. He destroyed all of it by stringing her along.</p><p>He felt awful when he woke up the next day around noon. It was another night of terrible sleep. He could already tell he had dark circles under his eyes. He brought the heel of his hand up to them and rubbed, wishing all of the stress from the night before would dissipate.</p><p>He relaxed the entire day. He chilled out in his pajamas and watched a movie he borrowed from Bokuto. He spent time with his grandparents. Akari did thank him for the night before and she said she was sorry for springing it all on him. She was going to talk more about what happened to her own friends. Kuroo was honestly thankful for that.</p><p>He laid down for the night and his eyes drifted over to the calendar on the wall. When he settled on the dark streaks of permanent marker that circled around the date, he squinted. What did it say?</p><p>Then it hit him.</p><p>Kuroo scrambled out of bed to grab his phone. He scrolled through his notifications. He never received any message or call from you. His fingers shook as he checked the time difference. He needed to talk to you and explain what happened. He was such an idiot for once again slipping up. What was wrong with him?!</p><p>He turned on the light and started a video call right away. He felt like he was choking. He waited for the dial tone and when it ended, he was relieved when you came into view.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” he started off without even bothering for the formalities. “I forgot about our date – again. Last night I was waiting to call you and then something came up. Akari was actually out by herself and having this mental breakdown, I had to bring her home so she didn’t get hurt. When I got home it was so late, I didn’t even…”</p><p>He continued on his impassioned rant. You didn’t say anything the entire time. When he finally finished, he waited to hear from you. He didn’t blame you for being angry. It was messed up. He could’ve at least told you that there was an emergency. Or he could’ve contacted someone else to go and help her.</p><p>“Say something…” he murmured. “You’re just…staring at me.”</p><p>You had no emotion on your face at all. You were flat. There was no trace of rage, jealousy, annoyance, irritation, hurt…anything.</p><p>“I feel like…I’ve been trying really hard,” you finally started. “To keep us together. I don’t feel like…I’m getting the same amount of effort from you. I’ve struggled a lot since moving out here. It’s been lonely. And scary. I’ve dealt with a lot of it without you because…well, we’ve both got a lot going on.” You refused to tear your eyes away from him. “I’m really tired. I’m tired of feeling like I’m bothering you, or constantly hounding you for attention, and I’m tired of pretending like everything is okay. I don’t say anything because I don’t want us to fight, but we do it anyway. I feel like I’m chasing after you all the time. I put in all this effort and I get nothing in return. It’s too much. I don’t know what’s changed between us since I left, but it’s not the same. I can’t do this anymore.”</p><p>Strength drained away from him. The lump in his throat grew and he could feel the beginnings of hot tears start to swell in his eyes. “So…what’re you saying?” he asked, already knowing the answer. “You want to…take a break?”</p><p>You nodded.</p><p>He was stunned into silence for a few moments. His thoughts flitted around and multiplied inside his head, leaving no brainpower for him to process your words.</p><p>He thought back to where it went wrong and came up short. It started off so well. You were in constant touch with each other and it was so easy to pretend that you would only be apart for a little while longer. Somewhere along the way it became a chore. He viewed those texts as just another thing for him to take care of. When you told him that he didn’t have to bother staying on top of things because you understood how swamped he was, he was…relieved. More than he cared to admit.</p><p>Kuroo was positive that you loved each other. Your feelings were the same as they had always been, but…something was off. The distance between you went from a fissure into a chasm and he didn’t have the tools he needed to bridge the gap. There was no meeting halfway at this point. It was you, toiling away at repairing things, and him, hiding behind a veil of excuses so he didn’t have to do the same. When had his priorities changed?</p><p>“I’m sorry,” was all he offered you when he finally found his voice. “I thought we could handle it. I guess I was wrong.”</p><p>You glanced off to the side. “Me, too. Take care of yourself, Kuroo.”</p><p>The call ended and both of you stared at your reflections in the blackened screens.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Happy holidays, y'all. 💀 I really did not intend for this chapter to be posted right around this time of year, I do apologize for that.</p><p>I hope you guys have a wonderful week. Thank you for all your comments and support as I bumble my way through this massive fic.</p><p> </p><p>  <strike>P.S. Take a shot every time Kuroo says "sorry" in this chapter. LOL</strike></p>
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<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Jump the Gun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kuroo has always prided himself in his resolve. Until now.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>OK so, first off, I wanted to thank all of you for the overwhelmingly positive feedback that you left on the last chapter. I'm honored that you guys enjoy it this much and sincerely hope that you feel the same way as I continue working on it.</p><p>I also wanted to thank you guys for not, uh, getting TOO hard on Kuroo? I mean, everyone was rightfully angry at him in the last chapter. I was glad that no one necessarily saw it as me assassinating his character for The Drama™. Kuroo has his own flaws and I think that's a really important thing to distinguish, especially given how much Reader used to idolize him.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kuroo splashed his face in the sink and let the ice-cold water shock his senses. He needed to get a grip. The last game had almost been an utter disaster. He missed at least seven easy blocks and even tripped on the court because his shoelaces became untied. His shoulder was bruised from a hard shove into Taketora earlier. He rolled it around in order to ease the pain, but found the action only made him more aware of how deep the ache went.</p><p>He tried to tell himself it wasn’t entirely his fault. The match with Nohebi started out rough. He and Daishou ended up face to face across the net and the little jerk had the nerve to say something that threw Kuroo for a loop.</p><p>“You sure you’re over getting dumped by that cute girlfriend of yours?” Daishou sneered, his eyes alight at the way Kuroo’s face paled. “Think you can concentrate on the game with all your pain?”</p><p>That set the mood for the entirety of the three sets they played. Nohebi swept the first one and Nekoma barely took the second. The points dragged on in the third until Nekoma finally snagged their win, but at what cost? Kuroo was out of sorts the entire time and it threw off the flow of the team. Kenma had to do some major damage control. Taketora was rightfully pissed and made a scene out on the court that earned a warning from the referee. His other teammates looked at him with a mixture of disappointment and irritation.</p><p>The door to the bathroom slammed open and Kuroo flinched. He knew exactly who it was judging by that telltale stomp. He tried to muster up a nonchalant smile when Yaku rounded the corner to face him.</p><p>“What the hell was that?” Yaku snapped, the muscles in his face tightening. Demon Senpai returned in full force and there was nothing to do about it but let him run out of steam. “Did I miss the part where we decided we were just going to hand the game over to Nohebi? I thought this would be an easy win!”</p><p>Kuroo chuckled weakly. “Sorry, dude, it’s been an off kind of day. I guess I shouldn’t have listened to that fortune teller I ran into on the street yesterday.”</p><p>Yaku didn’t even falter, knowing full well that Kuroo was trying to deflect from the reality of the situation. “It’s been two months, Kuroo. TWO. MONTHS. When are you going to stop beating yourself up and start acting like our future team captain? I’m tired of seeing you mope around like this. You made your bed, now lie in it.”</p><p>“Yeah…” He lifted his hands from either side of the sink and his eyes found his disheveled reflection. He still felt as haggard and pathetic as the day it happened even though neither of those things were reflected on his person. He seemed so well-kept and put together on the outside. Only his friends and teammates knew that there was something else gnawing at him from the inside out.</p><p>Yaku sighed and gave his friend the once-over. “I’m telling you this because I care about the both of you. You need to move on. There’s nothing productive about letting this kind of thing affect your plays. And I heard what Daishou said to you. Do you really think that you should be giving him the pleasure of throwing you off so easily? You know he said that to hurt you. Why would you let him get the better of you?”</p><p>Kuroo was generally a patient person, but this breakup caused pressure on him from so many sides. Every day he dealt with his friends’ unwanted thoughts about how things could’ve, should’ve, would’ve went. He was sick of it.</p><p>“Lay off, okay?” Kuroo drew up to his full height and stared down at Yaku. This wasn’t the first time the two of them butted heads and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. “What do you even know about relationships and heartbreak? You couldn’t even get one girl to go out with you.”</p><p>Yaku’s face reddened in embarrassment and anger. “I handled it with a lot more tact than you did, that’s for sure.”</p><p>“You two barely went on one date. We were together for more than a year.” He scoffed. “We have close to a decade of history together, you know? It’s not the same. You wouldn’t get it. I’m dealing with it the best I can.”</p><p>“Are you?” Yaku’s fists clenched at his sides. He opted to look down at his scuffed shoes, which just a few minutes earlier had been pounding against the court as he made the winning save. “Have you even tried to talk to her since then? Maybe it would help instead of you just staring out into space all day.”</p><p>“She said what she wanted to say and there’s nothing more to it.” Kuroo flicked the water from his fingertips. Before Yaku could say another word, he purposefully ran his hands underneath the dryer. Its roar drowned out any more words that could have been shared between them.</p><p>Kuroo left the bathroom and Yaku stared after him, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose.</p><p>When Kuroo broke the news to his friends, their reactions were more or less what he’d been expecting. He tried to tell them flippantly, as if he didn’t feel like his heart had been ripped out of his chest and stomped on. It didn’t matter. They saw through his façade right away and nearly all of them had been stunned into temporarily silence. When the weight of his words finally sank in, he was even more ashamed of the interrogation that followed.</p><p>What did he do?</p><p>Why did they break up?</p><p>Who broke up with who?</p><p>When did this happen?</p><p>Where would they go from here?</p><p>He couldn’t stand the apologetic, pitying look from Akaashi, or Minoru’s well-meaning comment that Kuroo should try to win you back.</p><p>Kenma already knew before anyone else and didn’t react much, though in private he expressed regret to Kuroo about everything that happened.</p><p>Yaku was rightfully annoyed and grilled him for what felt like hours about how he knew from the beginning that you and Kuroo weren’t right for each other. He said he never should have trusted you with him. That part did hurt his feelings.</p><p>Bokuto was so shocked that he refused to believe it. For days he never acknowledged the conversation even happened. When anyone tried to bring it up, he would change the subject or feign ignorance. It eventually sunk in for him and he acted like a parent being told their parents had just divorced. The dope actually had the nerve to ask whether any of it was his fault; it almost made Kuroo laugh. Almost.</p><p>He saw Kaori and Yukie after that. Neither of them was unkind to him, but the warmth that they emanated had all but been snuffed out. They had no loyalty toward him and it showed. He couldn’t really blame them; they only knew your side of the story (if you’d decided to share it at all). He told himself that he wouldn’t take it personally. He was actually proud that they stuck by your side through all of the drama.</p><p>“So she broke up with you because of me?”</p><p>Kuroo sat with Akari at the nearby tea shop. He had been avoiding her texts in the weeks following your split, but she cornered him one day after class and asked him to go with her in front of everyone. He couldn’t say no and embarrass her.</p><p>“It wasn’t like that,” he muttered, “it was just a lot of bad timing.”</p><p>“But I was the one who kept stealing you away. I kept asking you for more time together to work on the project and we hung out, too.” Akari rubbed at her eyes, which were already puffy and red from her earlier crying session. She’d chosen him to be her confidant about her failed relationship, much to his disappointment. “I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have done all of that. I messed up everything.”</p><p>He was used to her beating herself up like this. “Like I said, I was responsible for a lot of that stuff. I could’ve planned things better. Don’t worry about it.”</p><p>She continued to cry and one of the waitresses shot Kuroo a nasty look before swinging by to drop a fresh set of napkins for her. Kuroo shrank into his seat. As if he needed yet another girl treating him like garbage.</p><p>“I should talk to her and clear this all up. I’ll tell her I’m sorry for making you unavailable so much. I’ll fix things for you, Kuroo – it’s the least I can do for all the times you helped me through my breakup.”</p><p>“It’s fine, really…I don’t think it’d do any good. She’s kind of stubborn and sticks to her guns once she’s made up her mind. I really love that about her, but it sucks to be on the receiving end of it all.”</p><p>Akari gazed at him through glassy eyes. Her usually well-kempt hair had been freed from her signature braids and cascaded down her shoulders in frizzy ringlets. She had a few stains on her uniform from lunch as she hadn’t been paying attention. Even now she stroked the back of her phone case, almost as if she was waiting for that call that would change everything.</p><p>“It’s not fair at all to you. From what you’ve told me, you’ve been so devoted and kind to her. You’re allowed to make mistakes. And…it’s really hard finding time when you have so many other things going on! I know for a fact! Even though I had been chatting with him as often as I could, it was still at the most once a week.”</p><p>Kuroo sighed. “I couldn’t even do that, which is why I’m taking the blame here. I appreciate what you’re trying to say, but I should’ve done better. Maybe things will cool off between us…maybe it won’t. I can see why she’d be pissed with me. I can’t blame her for that. I’d do anything to get her back, but I’m not going to push her. I know that’ll just make things worse in the long run.”</p><p>He thought up so many scenarios where he could make a grand gesture to prove his feelings for you were just as significant as the day they blossomed, but he decided against it. You were heartbroken because of him. You wouldn’t be interested in what he had to say. Your feelings couldn’t be bought with a bouquet of roses and a card. He messed up and the only way to get you back in his life was to change his behavior. He knew that better than anyone.</p><p>It didn’t make it any easier for him, though. He felt sorry for himself more often than not.</p><p>The breakup had been a wake-up call, of sorts. It kicked his ass into gear. Kuroo put a hundred percent of himself into the two things that were most important to him: school and volleyball. Even as the assignments, homework and practices piled on, he managed his time wisely. He found himself wondering why he hadn’t been able to do so in the first place. He still had no idea what compelled him to let things get to the point where you felt so neglected.</p><p>Maybe he’d become complacent. Maybe he took your relationship for granted. He was so convinced that you were destined to be with each other forever and thought it would be okay to cut some corners. Now he understood he was wrong. Dead wrong.</p><p>He was ashamed of himself. He made all of these promises to you before you left. He took you on a date worthy of any sappy romantic movie and poured his heart into the gift he selected. He started off diligent and then got sloppy with his relationship maintenance. It was so much easier to ignore those kinds of things when you were so far away. That was messed up.</p><p>Still…despite all of the headway he made, it still hurt. A lot. Every morning he woke up with the crushing realization that he wasn’t your boyfriend anymore.</p><p>He had constant reminders of you everywhere. Aside from the folder filled with pictures on his phone, one of them even set as his lock screen, he had gifts strewn across his room. He found himself aching for the familiar warmth of you sitting by his side on the bus. He was starting to forget the smell of your shampoo when he bent down to plant a kiss on the top of your head. He glanced down at his palms and remembered how your hand fit so well with his.</p><p>He missed the daily texts. He missed the cheesy jokes and teasing. He missed hearing your voice. He missed the easy way he would invite himself to your house and into your bed, marveling at your curves. He missed the softness of your lips molding with his and the pleasant tingle that sparked across his body.</p><p>Kuroo came to a single conclusion: he was going to get you back. He would prove to you that he was serious this time. He wasn’t going to push you by any means, but he would make sure you knew that he heard you. He understood where your anger and hurt stemmed from and he would put an end to any doubts you still had. That way, when you came back to Japan, he would rekindle what he already knew was there. He would be a better man and someone you deserved.</p><p>Despite his motivations, he did want to move on. He didn’t want to be hung up forever on the breakup and let it drag him down. He had to push himself forward with the thought that this separation was temporary. He was fully convinced that you would end up together. There was just no other way around it.</p><p>“Did you guys fight again?”</p><p>Kuroo sighed and ran a hand through the tuft of bangs that usually fell over his eye. “Yeah, kinda. He cornered me in the bathroom.”</p><p>Kenma paused from looking at his phone so he could give Kuroo his full attention. “You know he’s just worried about you. Both of you.”</p><p>“He sure as hell isn’t doing a good job of showing it. Most of the time I feel like he’s trying to get under my skin.”</p><p>“He wants you to be back to your old self…we all do.” Kenma didn’t go into further detail, knowing he was treading some dangerous territory. He would never tell Kuroo he had to get over you by a certain date or time. It was painful watching his best friend falter so much when it came to anyone mentioning you.</p><p>Kuroo’s eyebrows scrunched together. “Do you think there’s a way to get over it? I mean, I know nothing’s better than waiting it out. I don’t want to forget what we had, but I know that obsessing over it isn’t cool, either.”</p><p>“Well, you could start by not stalking her accounts.” Kenma stared pointedly at Kuroo’s unlocked phone. He’d been refreshing it several times a day for updates. “It’s like torturing yourself.”</p><p>“Yeah, but…I just want to make sure she’s okay.”</p><p>That and he wanted to know how you were coping with everything. It hurt to see no mention of him on your timeline. He knew you weren’t the type of person to put him on blast or make a bunch of emotionally charged posts about how shitty he acted. He also knew that the content you chose to share wasn’t indicative of your actual emotional state. You were probably struggling as much as he was. Your pictures showed the good times because you wanted to prove you were doing fine, even if that wasn’t necessarily true.</p><p>“But what happens if you see something you don’t like?” Kenma made eye contact with him to emphasize his point. “That’s going to set you back.”</p><p>“You think she would date someone else after a couple of months?” Kuroo tried to hide his trembling hands with little success. He felt queasy.</p><p>“I know her well enough to say that it wouldn’t be her idea. She might get roped into it by someone else. Which is why you shouldn’t be looking.” Kenma’s head lifted as their stop came into view. He prepared to get off by pocketing his phone and picking his backpack up from the floor, slinging it around his shoulder. “Just think about it.”</p><p>Kuroo cleared his search and browsing history that night. He deleted the bookmarked pages that gave him quick access to your social media. He had those way before the breakup and it felt wrong to get rid of them now. He focused less on sneaking glances during class and more on the lectures themselves. He replaced that near compulsive behavior by instead looking up information about possible future areas of study and colleges he might apply to.</p><p>He was thankful for Kenma’s advice. He found it easier to get through the week. He had to live his life; that was a fact. He was concerned about you in the States, but he knew from his other friends that things were going fine. In order for him to mature enough where he didn’t obsess over you so much, he had to take a step back and give you space. He found his own independence and there was nothing wrong with that.</p><p>Akari wasn’t faring too well in comparison despite the fact that they both ended their relationships hours within each other. She was a mess. She cried at the drop of a hat. Her ex reached out to her from time to time so they could make up. Kuroo joined her friends in firmly advising her against it.</p><p>“I just don’t know what to do,” Akari told him as they settled down into their seats before homeroom began. “How do I move on? He took up such a huge part of my life. I gave him everything he asked, and he threw me away like I was nothing. My friends keep telling me I should just have a fling with someone else to forget all about him.”</p><p>Kuroo winced. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. It’s not fair to you or the guy you end up with. Chances are you’ll only hurt each other.”</p><p>“Ugh, I don’t know…” Akari gazed down at her phone, which buzzed as her ex tried to reach her again. “He’s calling me.”</p><p>Kuroo picked it up and hit decline. He forced her to unlock it and went into her contact list. He brought it on himself to block the number, much to Akari’s dismay.</p><p>“You have to cut him off. Every time he comes back for you, you have to remember what he put you through, the things he did.” He didn’t like being so harsh with her, but he’d played the nice guy act and it wasn’t getting through to her. “He hurt you and you don’t deserve a guy who’s gonna treat you like garbage. You’re stronger than this. The Akari I know is confident, talented, and knows her worth. This isn’t you.”</p><p>When the words left his mouth, he realized how much those words were what he needed to hear, too. Kuroo was considered a smug bastard by a lot of people. He provoked others for laughs and never showed weakness. He had vulnerabilities he only shared with a select few. He was smart and excelled in academics. He was a mean blocker on the court and was no stranger to getting dirty looks from other teams because of his flawless plays.</p><p>He wasn’t defined by his relationship with you. He had to stop acting like it.</p><p>His feelings for you would likely never change. That wasn’t a reason to hold them above everything else. You were special to him, sure, but he had to work on himself…and not just because he thought it would somehow convince you to take him back. He wouldn’t make true progress by using a possible future relationship with you as a measuring point.</p><p>He was still being held back by putting you first. It wasn’t right. If he was going to get his life together, he had to go back to the basics. That meant growing because he wanted to, not because other people expected it. It would put less pressure on him in the long run. He existed outside of being your boyfriend and he needed to remember that.</p><p>“Hey, dude.” The team captain approached Kuroo after a particularly rough practice. Coach Nekomata ran them through so many drills he dissociated at one point. “Nice job out there today. You’ve got your spark back.”</p><p>“Yeah?” Kuroo was relieved to hear it. “Couldn’t keep you on your toes forever, right? I figure someone has gotta whip this team into better shape once you’re gone.”</p><p>He laughed. “I know I can trust you to keep us at the top. Now you’ve just gotta get Fukurodani’s ace out of the way and we’ll be a sure thing for nationals.”</p><p>“I’m working on it.” Kuroo rolled his neck around and stretched his sore muscles, ready to take a long soak in the hot shower. “He’s got his own weaknesses I could exploit. But if we’re going to beat Fukurodani, we’re going to make sure he’s at the top of his game. I’m not planning to take the easy way out.”</p><p>The captain nodded in approval. “You can be ruthless, you know that?”</p><p>“I’ve gotta be. Otherwise, we’ll be in Fukurodani’s shadow forever. They’ve been to nationals more times than I’m cool with. It’s our turn.”</p><p>“Hell yes!”</p><p>Kuroo left the school in good spirits. He felt like things had finally settled down. He was getting more serious about college prep courses and was at the top of his game not only in the club, but in his classes. He was confident about his future for the first time in a while. Three months post-breakup and he adjusted as well as he could. It hurt, it always would, but he wasn’t dragging around and garnering pitiful looks from everyone he knew.</p><p>He had plans to meet up with his friends at a nearby arcade. It was the only way he could get Kenma to come out with them. Kenma would join in once he was finished with his make-up test, as he had been out of classes for a few days due to a bad cold. Kuroo was fine in heading down there by himself. Yaku left as soon as practice was over, so he should’ve been there already.</p><p>Kuroo ducked inside the arcade and was greeted with an array of neon lights flashing from each of the consoles. The room was dimmed just enough where people could find the slots to insert their yen and nothing more. He’d only been here a few times and his friends said they would all meet him near the back. He weaved his way past the bodies of kids who clearly skipped school to be here all day. There was the occasional couple with the boyfriend trying to show off and win some prizes. Kuroo shook his head with a slight smile on his face at the sight.</p><p>He spotted Bokuto’s hair peeking out from behind a row of machines and made a beeline for it. Good thing Bokuto decided to keep that ridiculous style; it was like a beacon when they were in large crowds.</p><p>He got a good look at who already showed up. It was Akaashi, Bokuto, Yaku and…Minoru? Huh. Kuroo was happy to see him, though the older boy had long since graduated and spent the majority of his time practicing for martial arts tournaments. He was a pretty popular guy these days people traveled far and wide to join his new school.</p><p>He already picked an insult to hurl Bokuto’s way, as was their signature greeting, when he heard his name being mentioned. Something told him he should eavesdrop. He flattened up against one of the pillars and leaned forward so their voices wouldn’t be overpowered by the cacophony of sounds all around them.</p><p>“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”</p><p>“But Yaku! He should know!” Bokuto exclaimed, nearly knocking the other boy over. “What if he finds out about it, and then he finds out <em>we</em> knew about it, and we didn’t tell him?!”</p><p>“He won’t find out unless you say something, so keep quiet and we won’t have a <em>problem</em>,” Yaku hissed. “It’s not your place to say anything. Are you trying to set him back?”</p><p>Akaashi sighed. “I don’t know what the best course of action here is. Telling him would hurt him. Not telling him would be living in ignorant bliss.”</p><p>“Exactly. There’s no point in causing him to hurt if we can prevent it.” Yaku uncrossed his arms. “What do you think, Minoru?”</p><p>Minoru chose his next words with care. He knew their weight. “And when she comes back? He’ll know about it for sure. By then, it won’t be a secret to anyone but him.”</p><p>“So? If she decides to share that information publicly, that would be different. As it stands, we only found out by chance. It’s going against her explicit wishes to spread it around.” Yaku stared at all of them with disapproval written across his features.</p><p>Bokuto huffed. “You’re biased, Yaku! You always take her side.”</p><p>“I’m not taking sides. I’m giving you a dose of reality. Kuroo has finally gotten himself out of his rut. Information like this would be like tying a weight around his ankle and throwing him back in ourselves! We’re here to hang out and have fun, not bring him down with news that she and Jun are dating!”</p><p>A pregnant pause followed and Kuroo’s backpack slipped off his shoulders. It fell to the ground with a thud. Four pairs of eyes swiveled over to where he stood.</p><p>Kuroo felt his face grow hot as he bent down to gather his things, several pencils and notebooks having spilled out onto the floor. He focused on his breathing and stifled the sharp gnawing in the center of his chest. When he was sure he could find his voice again, he brought himself up and stood at his full height. His shoulders and back were straight and he kept his head lifted where they could get a full view of his expression.</p><p>“Hey, guys. I guess I shouldn’t put too much stock into the idea of being a private detective, huh?” He shifted to his other leg and scanned over their expressions. Guilt, horror, shock and concern. “Come on, what did you think I would do once I heard the news? Burst into tears?”</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Yaku stammered. “I didn’t know you were there. Listen, Kuroo—”</p><p>“Don’t worry about it.” Kuroo waved a hand and put on his most convincing grin. “I appreciate you guys looking out for me. It’s cool. Really. I’m glad she found someone.”</p><p>“Yeah, but—” Bokuto’s voice was cut off when Akaashi elbowed him in the ribs. When he glanced at the setter, Akaashi shook his head. Bokuto bit down on his lower lip and stepped back so he wouldn’t do anything embarrassing.</p><p>“Kenma should be getting here pretty soon.” Kuroo glanced at the clock on the wall. “Unless he blanked out during the test. He better not, we went over the review questions at least twice.”</p><p>No one said anything. They merely exchanged glances with each other.</p><p>Kuroo cut through the middle of the group and toward the row of machines that sat behind them. “So who’s going to go up against me, huh? Or are you too scared I’m gonna keep up with my winning streak?”</p><p>No one touched on the subject again. Kenma showed up as planned and Kuroo continued to pretend that everything was fine. Outwardly, he cracked jokes, teased his friends, and kept a cheerful expression on his face. It helped distract him from the racing thoughts inside his head. He kept seeing vivid flashes of your face and Yaku’s words drilled into his skull. He kept them at bay by forcing himself to concentrate on everything else around him.</p><p>Bokuto split because Minoru wanted to give him a tour of his school. Akaashi got dragged along. Kuroo would’ve gone with them under any other circumstances. He used the excuse that he had practice the next day and he needed the rest. Kenma was inside finishing his last game when Yaku approached him</p><p>The two of them stood up against the wall that faced the street. It started raining sometime when he was inside. I was strange that he had no idea until he stepped out to ominous clouds and heavy sheets of rain pounding against the pavement. The sound drowned out everything else – the crack of car horns, the thundering march of footsteps down the street, and the buzzing of incoherent conversations. He sucked in a deep breath.</p><p>“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Yaku muttered, not bothering to look him in the eye. He knew it would be too much for Kuroo. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s fine.”</p><p>“You and I both know it isn’t.” Yaku’s voice trembled as he picked his next words. “Even if you get on my very last nerve, you’re still my friend. I didn’t want you to find out because I knew it would make things worse.”</p><p>Kuroo concentrated on the raindrops hitting the awning that shielded them from getting drenched. When he was a kid his grandfather used to try to get him into playing go. The way those stones clacked against each other reminded him of the sounds he heard now.</p><p>“How did you find out, anyway?” Kuroo allowed himself this one question, only because it was burning in the back of his mind.</p><p>Yaku hesitated. “It’s not like she was bragging about it or anything. She didn’t post about it online, so don’t bother looking. I was on the phone with her and Jun stopped by to drop off some sweets he picked up for her. All of a sudden, her friend Aniyah burst in the room and said, 'Jun, why didn't you tell me you were dating'? There was a lot of shouting. She put me on mute for a while, I guess to mediate things. When she came back on, I pretended I didn't understand the conversation since it was obviously something she wanted to keep a secret.”</p><p>“Yeah, a secret that you happened to tell the others, right?”</p><p>“That was an accident.” Yaku frowned and remembered exactly how it happened. “Minoru made a comment that he noticed how well the two of them were getting along and it…slipped out. Once he found out, of course he told Bokuto, and Bokuto has a big mouth so he couldn’t keep it a secret from Akaashi. When I saw they all got here before you, I wanted to set them straight so they wouldn’t say anything.”</p><p>Kuroo was glad that his friends cared so much about him. He still wasn’t sure whether it was right for them to keep the news from him. Knowing about it was a relief, in a way, only because he felt like it would be so much worse stumbling across a picture posted to your accounts. The news and the tumultuous weather successfully sapped all the warmth from his body. He shuddered and wrapped himself tighter in his jacket.</p><p>“Thanks, Yakkun.”</p><p>For the rest of the week, Kuroo’s mind was consumed with you. He thought he was better than this. He thought he was strong enough that hearing about how well-adjusted you became wouldn’t hurt him. He was wrong. He found himself sneaking back onto his phone and visiting your profiles for any indication of your new relationship. He found none. It disgusted him to fall back into this obsessive ex-boyfriend schtick yet again.</p><p>He wasn’t himself. His next quiz was ten marks lower than his last. He nearly sprained his ankle during practice. He pushed himself so hard that he pulled a muscle and had to take time off to rest. He withdrew from the social outings he always looked forward to, and instead spent most of his time zoning out in front of the TV and watching old samurai movies with his grandparents.</p><p>You would be back in the spring. Who knew what could go on in that amount of time? Jun proved a better guy than Kuroo time and time again. He was there to help you through tough times. He became someone important to you. He helped you adjust to a new place and brought a smile to your face every day. When was the last time Kuroo could claim something like that?</p><p>He got lost in his own thoughts. What if you and Jun got along so much better than you did with him? What if…you found Jun more attractive than him? What if Jun wanted to take the next step and you were more than happy to go along with it? You were the one who pushed for it and Kuroo wasn’t ready. Jun had his share of girls in his life. There was no way he would let go of an opportunity to get you in bed.</p><p>“Kuroo?”</p><p>He turned his head and realized he’d been staring at the same shelf of books at the library for the last five minutes. His class went there to do some old-fashioned research for their next paper and he initially intended to make good use of his time. The warm glow of the lights and the dusty, musty smell of the expanse of volumes before him nearly lulled him to sleep despite him standing upright.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Akari peered at him. He noticed she was much better at taking care of herself these days. Since she blocked her ex, she made the commitment to try and forget about him for good. She went back to wearing makeup and her hair was done up in her signature braids without so much as a strand out of place.</p><p>Kuroo forced a smile on his face. “Who, me? I’m just admiring the books.”</p><p>She shot him a funny look and didn’t seem to understand he was using humor to deflect. “Oookay, then. I’ll leave you to it.”</p><p>She turned heel and made a move to leave, but Kuroo’s hand shot out and snaked around her wrist. She came to a full stop and angled her body back towards him.</p><p>“Can I help you?”</p><p>“Go out with me,” Kuroo blurted. He could scarcely believe the words coming out of his mouth. He couldn’t take them back now, especially not with the way her eyes widened at his sudden proposal. “I mean…I want to go out with you. Like…on a date.”</p><p>Akari frowned at first. She didn’t seem entirely convinced and shook him off her. “Are you asking me because you feel sorry for me or something? Because if so, I’m not interested.”</p><p>“I think we’re good together.” Kuroo wasn’t going to let this opportunity slide. Each sentence out of him started to make sense. If you could move on from him, then who was to say he had to be the only one pining? “We have a lot of fun with each other and I think you’re really cute. So…go out with me.”</p><p>He watched the suspicion on her face melt into bashfulness. Her cheeks reddened and her teeth snagged on her lower lip. He felt overwhelmed under her pointed stare, especially when she reached up to twirl the tip of her braid around her fingers.</p><p>“I feel the same way,” she confessed, her words barely above a murmur. “I mean, you’re so easy to get along with. We have really good chemistry and…well, you don’t need me to tell you how handsome you are.”</p><p>He knew he should’ve felt something at her words, but he honestly didn’t give them much thought. “So is that a yes?”</p><p>She laced her fingers behind her back and giggled. “That is very much a <em>yes</em>.”</p><p>He was relieved. “Awesome. I mean, cool. That’s – great.”</p>
<hr/><p>You were working on some homework in Jun’s basement, flipping the pencil and trying to generate the correct answer out of sheer will alone. In the background you could hear Jun fumbling with his rolling paper while Devon criticized his technique. Aniyah planted an ice-cold drink on the table and winked at you before flashing you a picture of a new pair of shoes she just ordered.</p><p>“Hey, your phone won’t stop going off. You want me to answer it for you?” Devon held it up. It was still charging and the outlet happened to be on the other side of the room. You didn’t trust yourself not to get too distracted by having it near, anyway.</p><p>“Uh…does it say who it is?”</p><p>“I can’t read Japanese,” Devon deadpanned. “There’s a picture of a girl on here, though. She’s got brown hair in a ponytail.”</p><p>“Oh. That’s Kaori. I’ll take it.” It was rare of her to call you out of the blue. Devon was about to chuck it at you, but Aniyah wrenched it out of his hands before he could.</p><p>You held the phone to your ear and picked up. “Hey, Kaori. What’s up? I thought we were going to chat tomorrow.”</p><p>She didn’t bother with any pleasantries. Her tone was clipped and her words were straight to the point. “Have you seen Maeda’s profile picture?”</p><p>The name sounded familiar, but you didn’t know who that was off the top of your head. “Who?”</p><p>“You know. Kuroo’s project partner.” Kaori sounded like she was trying to keep her voice level, but something more sinister simmered underneath the surface. “I’m going to send you a screenshot. Give me a second.”</p><p>You waited for it to come and as soon as the picture loaded, it felt like you’d been punched in the gut. Akari changed her profile picture to a selfie of…well, her and Kuroo. As if that wasn’t bad enough, there was a caption that went along with it. Yesterday’s date and an announcement that she was no longer single. A ton of heart emojis followed and you could see the influx of comments and likes underneath it.</p><p>“It’s been three months. Is he crazy?” Kaori shouted. She was fired up, so unlike her usually cheery persona. “That’s not enough time to get over someone! What’s wrong with him? I have half a mind to march down to Nekoma and kick his ass myself!”</p><p>You were a little dumbstruck with the information. Kuroo and Akari. You didn’t know whether to feel vindicated that your suspicions about their relationship were spot on, or if you should be devastated. You could see your friends staring at you and wondering why the hell your mood shifted so harshly.</p><p>“He’s an idiot. A jerk,” she seethed. “You guys were together for a whole year and he managed to mess things up for good this time!”</p><p>You didn’t have time to process her words and what you saw. Not really. You had to focus on making her less frantic. You managed to calm her down after about fifteen minutes and made her promise she wouldn’t rope Bokuto into beating him up. Yukie piped up that she bet he would do it if she bought him meat buns for the rest of the year. As funny as the thought was, you didn’t want any unnecessary drama.</p><p>Once you were sure that she ended the call and wasn’t about to go into another rant about all the ways she could string Kuroo up, you turned toward the others. Aniyah in particular looked worried. The other two started smoking while you were on the call to distract themselves.</p><p>“What happened?” she asked. “You don’t look so good.”</p><p>“I…guess my ex moved on…” You shot her a watery smile. “That really sucks.”</p><p>“What a fucking dick.” Devon exhaled and the smoke curled out of his flaring nostrils. “That’s some way to prove you love someone, huh? He couldn’t even wait until you came back to talk things over.”</p><p>You didn’t have a response for him. As harsh as he was, his words this time were dead on. He spoke aloud the very thoughts that were turning over in your head.</p><p>“Who’s worse at recovering from breakups? Him or Jun?” Devon scoffed. “These two must be related or something. Jun gets kicked to the curb and hooks up with someone else in the same week your ex decides to get back into the game.”</p><p>“She’s got a name…” Jun murmured. "It's Raegan."</p><p>“Look, dude...I’m not even gonna bother remembering it, because she’ll dump your ass in a few weeks. I won't waste my breath telling you how stupid you're being. Aniyah already chewed you out that day when she found out. Didn't she storm in while you and Miss Hot Mess were just hanging out? Poor thing, she had no idea what the fuck was going on. Wish I could've been there to see the dumb looks on both your guys' faces. ” Devon laughed and passed the joint over to Jun despite the bite to his words. “Anyway, given what we know about this Kuroo guy, I think you dodged a serious bullet. He ghosted you for weeks at a time for another girl, and then a few months after you two break up, he hooks up with her? Fucking gross, that’s what it is.”</p><p>Aniyah sighed in frustration, as she usually did when he got too worked up for his own good. “You’re not helping and she’s obviously freaking out.” She jerked her head in the direction of Jun’s room. “Let’s go talk about it, okay? We’ll be back later.”</p><p>You pushed yourself away from the desk and allowed her to steer you away from the guys. Jun shot you an apologetic look. You didn’t bother returning it. You were too embarrassed to let him see you fall apart like this yet again.</p><p>As the door shut behind you and you sank down onto the bed, all you could do was wonder why Kuroo decided to give up on you after all.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oh, Yaku. He means well. Too bad he ruined EVERYTHING by misunderstanding the situation.</p><p>I promise you that this story won't be trapped in Angst City forever! I appreciate every single one of you sticking with it. &lt;3</p><p>Happy New Year, everyone! See you next week!</p>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Juxtaposition</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kuroo is trying to move on and so are you.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wrote half this chapter and I was like, "Wait. This is getting really, really long. Should I stop now and split it?" Then I told myself, "Hmm...nah." Hopefully you guys don't mind the length!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I am <em>not</em> getting on that thing. It looks like the whole thing is about to come down."</p><p>Kuroo laughed so hard that he folded in half at the waist, clutching his stomach and tears springing to his eyes. You were not as amused as he was.</p><p>The object in question was an abandoned playground a few blocks down from Nekoma. It was set to be demolished within the oncoming months as they paved the way for yet another high-rise office building. At a glance it looked more like a death trap. There was rust corroding every possible surface. One of the swings had a broken seat that twirled around in the smallest breeze. The metal slide looked inviting with its silvery reflection, but that bent ladder said enough about its stability.</p><p>For you and Kuroo, this place was a little more special than it looked. As kids the two of you came here on days when Kenma was too sick to play volleyball. You would plop down on that merry-go-round and keep spinning until you rolled off onto the wet grass. You still remembered how your grandma scolded you for the stark stain it left on your shorts. Kuroo once stood on the swing in a feeble attempt to tower over you; he got about five seconds of glory before he lost his footing, fell, and busted his chin open on the way down. It cost him a fair amount of stitches. Lucky jerk didn't even have a scar afterwards.</p><p>"I'm serious!"</p><p>"Look, it's fine." He walked backwards until he was right underneath the framework of the swing, arms spread as if the action alone would convince you. "Just a few seconds."</p><p>You waited for the worst to happen when he sank down onto the seat. While the chains did groan in protest, nothing catastrophic happened. His long legs reached the ground with ease. His shoes scuffed along the dry dirt as he walked backwards to reach his "maximum angle" before pushing off.</p><p>Once he did soar into the air, and you watched the chains hold, you decided to take your spot in the place next to him. You didn't put your full weight on it. You were afraid that would be the end to this little swing set. It didn't deserve to go out like that. You didn't go into a full swing, but you did tuck your legs in so you were dangling over the hard ground.</p><p>"Hey, you remember the time when we came out here and there was a group of teenagers just hanging out? They started shouting at us to leave. Pretty sure it was because they buried some porn mags underneath the slide and thought we would tell someone."</p><p>The image was so clear in your mind. "Yeah. One of them lived a few doors down from you. I thought he was hot."</p><p>"Uh huh. I remember his name and everything." Kuroo continued swinging past you, back and forth, riding the natural rhythm. "He walked over to you and started asking your name and stuff. Probably so he could keep tabs on you and swear you to secrecy. He ignored me and Kenma. I saw the way you looked at him, you couldn't be more obvious if you tried. "</p><p>"He was kind of a weirdo, now that I think about it. He always drew a skull on his arm in marker and said it was a real tattoo."</p><p>"Anyway..." Kuroo turned his attention to the night sky and a thin smile crossed his face. His eyes twinkled far brighter than the stars above, which were hidden by the city lights. "I got crazy jealous and I didn't have any way to stand up to him. You guys were underneath this huge black pine tree. I saw a pinecone on the ground and chucked it at him as hard as I could and it hit him in the side of the head. His friends all started laughing when they realized what it was. They all thought for sure the tree just dropped it on him. It got him to leave, though."</p><p>You snorted. "Oh my god."</p><p>"Don't laugh." He grinned despite his words. "Couldn't stand seeing someone else get close to you. I was still in that weird phase of liking you and not knowing what to do about it. That stunt got me a huge scratch on my palm, though."</p><p>"Yeah, and you <em>insisted</em> I kiss it to make it better. Except when I actually did it just to spite you, you got upset."</p><p>"Duh. My crush just kissed me." He finally slowed down enough so that you were side by side. You could see his ears were a little red from the memory. "I called you gross because it smeared my blood everywhere, but that was a cover up because I was freaking out inside. Good thing Kenma was always prepared. He had that bandaid ready to go."</p><p>"You were such a little shit. I mean, not that you aren't now." You thumbed the links in the chain and tried not to think about the orange stain it would leave on your fingers. "I feel like I bring out the worst in you sometimes."</p><p>Kuroo shook his head. "It's the opposite, you know - you always keep me in check when I need it. I don't think anyone can keep up with me like you can. Like it or not, you're stuck with me. You think I'm joking, but as soon as we're old enough for that marriage license, I'm making you sign it."</p><p>"Pfft." You made eye contact with him and felt your cheeks grow warm at the softness to his gaze. "And how do you know I'll even say yes?"</p><p>"Oh, you'll say yes. I've got my ways."</p><p>He grabbed the chain closest to him and dragged it close so you were pressed flush against him. Your lips met with a small, wet smack. You couldn't exactly move, not with him pinning you in place. You squeezed your eyes shut and gasped at the silkiness of his mouth against yours. His tongue slipped inside, wet, warm, coaxing you to return the intensity of the kiss.</p><p>When you pulled back, you wiped your mouth with the back of your hand. If your past self saw what you were doing now, she would've lost her shit. It didn't help that he saw you unconsciously squeeze your thighs together when he licked at his own lower lip.</p><p>"See?" he smirked, thoroughly amused by your blissed out expression.</p><p>At that moment, your combined weight caused all four chains to snap simultaneously. When they gave way, both of you were dumped on your asses - hard. The suddenness of the drop sent a sharp pain on your backside. Even worse, the bar hanging above you sagged in the middle and made a horrible screeching noise in the process.</p><p>You and Kuroo exchanged glances before scrambling away to safety. No sooner were you out of the way when the entire swing set fell apart on itself, leaving a heap of twisted metal and plastic. You stared at the mess with your jaw hanging open.</p><p>"Damn it, Tetsurou! I <em>told you</em> it was going to fall apart!"</p><p>He said nothing in response. He flopped onto his back and cackled.</p>
<hr/><p>"Hey, you okay?"</p><p>You snapped to attention and realized Aniyah had been talking to you this entire time. Embarrassing. She turned her ice cream cone over in her hand and continued to lap at the rivulet of vanilla that threatened to drip down onto her leggings. </p><p>"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking."</p><p>“I kind of figured.” She held the ice cream to you and offered a bite. You shook your head. “You and Kuroo knew each other since you were kids, right? You ever go to school together?”</p><p>You kept your gaze fixed on the scene before you. Aniyah's little brother was out on the playground and somehow roped Devon into getting onto all fours and roaring like a dinosaur with him. They crawled around in the dirt and scared a few girls who were skipping rope nearby. Devon even raised himself up onto his knees and made little claws with his fingers like he was a T-Rex, earning shrill cries of glee and fear in equal parts from the group that surrounded him.</p><p>“No, we lived too far apart. I only got to see him during breaks from school.”</p><p>“Sounds like you guys have been dealing with long-distance for a long time, then.”</p><p>“It was easier when we were younger, I guess. Less commitments, more free time.” You stared down at your own cup of ice cream and swirled your spoon around in the rainbow of colors. The bright hues turned duller with each stroke as they mixed together. “Or maybe it was because we were so young. Optimistic, excitable.”</p><p>“Now you’re bumming me out.” She took another tentative lick. “I wanted you to know something. Devon and I are crazy about each other, but he also drives <em>me</em> crazy. We’ve broken up a few times for some reason or another. Splitting up isn’t the end of the world unless you want it to be. Like, what he did so soon after your breakup was really fucked. But I can’t tell you how to feel. Devon can’t tell you. Jun <em>definitely</em> can’t say anything. Your feelings are yours. I’m sure you’re hurt, betrayed, all that good stuff. What I’m trying to say is – if you want to make it work, you’ll make it work. Not that I think he deserves it, but…you know him better than I do.”</p><p>You considered her words carefully. Your head was still muddled because of the conversation you had with Yukie and Kaori. That picture of Kuroo and Akari together was burned into the back of your eyelids. You didn’t want to spend any more energy being heartbroken over Kuroo. He sure made it difficult, though.</p><p>She was right. The feelings you had were still raw and unfettered. You were still processing everything when you were thrown for another loop. Kuroo hurt you more than anyone else ever had. You placed your utmost faith and trust in him. You were under the impression that you wouldn’t need to put any stock into yourself because he would do it for you. You relied on him so much. Maybe too much. It felt like your whole world up until this point revolved around him, and that wasn’t right. Your happiness shouldn’t have depended so largely on him. You were stronger than that, even if you didn’t quite believe it yet.</p><p>“Are you guys ready to go yet or not?” Aniyah called out. “If we don’t leave now, we’re missing the new episode of <em>Ben 10</em>!”</p><p>That got their attention. Devon grabbed her brother by the waist and hoisted him above his shoulders almost effortlessly. It looked like he was used to this kind of thing. Judging from their interaction, Devon and her brother got along well. You wondered how their breakups affected her family. It was hard to think about the two of them ever splitting up because of how absorbed they always were in each other. It wasn’t really any of your business, but what kind of reason would they have to take a break in the first place?</p><p>You lagged a little bit behind and gazed at their silhouettes painted gold by the setting sun. Anyone would think they were a family given how they shared such easy and heartfelt smiles with each other. Devon was rough around the edges, but the tenderness in his eyes whenever he focused on Aniyah was enough to bring a gentle warmth to your chest. From here, they didn’t seem like a troubled couple who had an on-again, off-again relationship. They were clearly in love and seeing it so blatant made you feel a little lonely.</p><p>All of you were surprised to find Jun sitting on the curb outside of Aniyah’s house. He had his guitar case with him. He looked up from his phone and broke into a smile when he saw you walking up the path towards him. You heard a series of excited shouts as Aniyah’s brother demanded to be let down so he could properly greet Jun. Jun got down on his knees and welcomed him into his arms with a tight hug.</p><p>“Hey, dude. Didn’t you have a date?” Devon was already in the process of unzipping his jacket so he could toss it to the side once you walked in. “Wait, don’t tell me…did you set a new world record today?”</p><p>Jun released the little one and looked a little embarrassed. When he drew up to his full height and swung the case over his shoulder, his cheeks were pink. “Actually, I was the one who ended it.”</p><p>Aniyah’s eyebrows shot up in shock. “What?”</p><p>“I wasn’t feeling it…” Jun muttered, his palm reaching back to rest on his neck. “I think I hurt her feelings. I said I was sorry, but she still threw her drink at me.”</p><p>“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up. <em>You</em> dumped someone?” Devon couldn’t believe it. He looked scandalized. “What the hell happened?”</p><p>“Dev,” Aniyah hissed. “Language.” She ushered her little brother inside before you could get the full story. You were interested in hearing what happened, but you followed after her to make sure she didn’t need any help in getting her brother situated.</p><p>Your attention was split. Aniyah was in the kitchen pouring you some drinks and asking you what you felt like eating for dinner. You halfway listened to her because you could hear echoes of Devon and Jun’s voices near the front door. When you snuck a glance, Devon was still as animated as he was moment before. He gestured wildly and pushed his hair back in frustration. At one point he burst into laughter and shoved Jun so hard he nearly fell over.</p><p>You settled down in the living room and ended up ordering a pizza. You lost yourself in the gooey cheese and plethora of toppings that were heaped on your slice. It was so good. You didn’t feel awkward pigging out with the group because they were your friends. That and all of you were engrossed in the show and didn’t even bother chatting about anything.</p><p>You sat on the couch next to Jun and were aware that Devon kept making weird gestures out of the corner of your eye. Strangely enough, when you turned toward him, he pretended he wasn’t doing anything. He would go into awkward, dramatic stretches.</p><p>Even though your friends knew your mind was occupied with Kuroo, they did their best to try and distract you. You snacked, watched movies, and sat in dead silence for about an hour while you all took turns showing each other memes. Devon and Aniyah played <em>Call of Duty</em> and it was so boring you ended up rolling over and falling asleep on the couch. You did wake up a few times to a squabble between the two of them with Jun trying to mediate, which was pretty funny.</p><p>When you woke up, you managed to pull yourself out of your comfortable position and trudge over to Aniyah’s bedroom. Her bed was big enough for the both of you and you really didn’t mind sharing it with her. She was still wide awake and scrolling on her phone while looking at various profiles of photoshopped girls living their best fake lives.</p><p>“Hey,” you murmured. The loud ticking of the clock was the only real sound in the room aside from the distant melody of her radio in the corner. “Why did you and Devon break up before?”</p><p>She didn’t miss a beat. “Neither of us were in a good place and he was insecure as hell. He was going through major dysphoria and was convinced that I didn’t love him. This was before he had his top surgery. It didn’t matter what I said because he didn’t believe me and eventually I got tired of it.”</p><p>You felt a wave of guilt wash over you. Was that how Kuroo felt? He was constantly stepping on eggshells to spare your feelings. He could never understand how complex your relationship was with your body, but he tried his damnedest to. Maybe it got to be too much for him. You didn’t really blame him for that.</p><p>“Sharing your fears and insecurities is part of learning how to trust each other. That’s intimacy,” Aniyah continued. “You build each other up in a relationship. But once you start treating the other person like they’re your therapist, that’s when you need to take a step back. Your partner’s job isn’t to change you. Only you can do that. In the end, I told Devon I was done and he needed to get it together.”</p><p>“So what happened?”</p><p>She chuckled. “He did. He took it seriously. He started seeing a therapist even though he was convinced he didn’t need one…all that alpha male shit is so wack. He got on meds, too. It didn’t ‘fix’ him…not that that’s what I was looking for at all. But it made it easier for him to deal with his problems. And he stopped using me as an emotional punching bag. He can always vent to me about things that bother him, but we’ve got boundaries now.”</p><p>You didn’t say anything after that, nor did she expect you to. You brought the blanket higher up to your chin and buried yourself in her calming scent. She was patient. You saw glimpses of Devon’s short temper and the way he lashed out at people. You bet Aniyah was burdened…and weary…of the way he expected her to make him whole. You didn’t want to be like that.</p><p>She was a lot more mature than you were and for good reason. She experienced a lot of the same things you did, but she was so much stronger. You admired her a lot. Despite the odds stacked against her, she stood up for herself. She knew her worth. At the same time, you’d seen sides of her that were vulnerable and soft. She left herself exposed to her partner and didn’t put those guards up so much. She stepped into the world unapologetically and strove to find her own happiness.</p><p>You wanted that for yourself, too.</p>
<hr/><p>Kuroo never understood why some people hated school so much. Then again, he had a lot of friends to keep him company and he found his classes interesting enough. He was always rewarded from a long, grueling day by putting his body into motion with volleyball practice. It was something to occupy his time and was a hell of a lot better than being stuck at home watching cable TV with his grandparents all day.</p><p>When he woke up this morning, however, he realized that he wanted to fake being sick. He only ever attempted that once before in the past and it was right before a huge test he hadn’t studied much for. His dad saw right through him and didn’t let him get away with it. He found himself lingering on the edge of his bed, feet flat on the floor, concentrating on the tumultuous churning in his stomach from nerves and guilt.</p><p>“What do I have to feel guilty about?” he muttered as he got dressed. He couldn’t bring himself to look at his reflection. “She’s the one who set the pace. Not me. I’m just following her example.”</p><p>He told himself it was fine. Akari was a nice girl. She knew what it was like to struggle through a break-up from a long-distance relationship. Their similar experiences meant they could understand each other better than anyone. They got along well enough. Even if he didn’t feel that spark of attraction right away, he was sure it would come along soon enough. It had to.</p><p>So why did he feel like shit?</p><p>He kept his mouth shut on the bus ride. Kenma knew something was up and attempted to ask him what was going on. Kuroo played it off, knowing full well that his best friend didn’t believe him for a second.</p><p>Kenma still had no idea what information was shared the other day at the arcade. No one told him. Kuroo sure as hell wasn’t going to. Thinking about it was painful enough but speaking it into existence was an entirely different thing. His wounds were still raw. He didn’t need yet another person poking and prodding at it, even if Kenma would’ve done so with good intentions.</p><p>All he had to do was get to his classroom. He would be safe there. He breezed through the courtyard and spotted several volleyball club members up ahead. It looked like they were crowding around a sports magazine with another interview from the top players in the nation. Kenma didn’t seem all too interested but Taketora called out to them anyways.</p><p>“Hey, future captain! Take a look at this!” Taketora practically shoved the article in his face. “I’m gonna be in this section by the end of the year!”</p><p>“That so?” Kuroo mused. He glanced at the chunk of text and scanned over it quickly. “I can’t decide which would be more likely: that or you actually finding a girlfriend.”</p><p>“What the hell did you just say?!” he stammered with a furious blush as the rest of his teammates howled with laughter. “You’re one to talk! I mean, uh…”</p><p>Kuroo opened his mouth to respond in a way that was nonchalant and cool. He had to keep up with the image that he was mature and grounded enough that the breakup didn’t devastate him completely. Before he could get a word out, he heard a familiar voice sound off behind him.</p><p>“Good morning, Tetsurou!” Akari ran up to him with a bright smile and her hands enclosed around a small box.</p><p>Yaku was quick to react to how familiar she was with him. “Tetsurou?” he repeated. “Since when does she call you by your first name?”</p><p>Kuroo stifled down that queasy, unsettling feeling that bubbled in his throat. “Oh, uh…mornin’ Akari.”</p><p>“Here.” She thrust the box in his face with a giddiness to her tone. “I made you a bento for lunch! I hope you like it!”</p><p>He was hyperaware of everyone’s eyes on him as the team’s raucous behavior from earlier dissipated in an instant. There were a few beats of awkward silence. He tried his best to ignore it and reached out to take the gift from her. She waited with bated breath for him to take the lid and peer down at her work.</p><p>He scanned over the meal she made him. Rice, hamburger steak and a pile of roasted veggies on the side. It should have looked appetizing. It should have brought a grin to his face. He masked his unsure feelings with a smug smile as he gestured toward Taketora with a nod of his head.</p><p>“You were saying?”</p><p>Kenma looked uncomfortable. He had no idea what was going on. He never met Akari and as such wasn’t exactly thrilled with her sudden presence. Yaku’s face was tense and that signature twitch of his brow only meant one thing: he was out for blood.</p><p>“He prefers fish.” Yaku stared at her. His words were as frosty as his unimpressed expression. “Not meat.”</p><p>“Oh…” Akari was quickly embarrassed with her mistake and reached up to play with the ends of her braids. “Sorry! I didn’t know. I’ll make something more to your liking tomorrow!”</p><p>“No, this is great,” Kuroo reassured her, though his words felt lifeless. “I’m looking forward to it.” He really hadn’t meant to air out his dirty laundry first thing in the morning, but this seemed like the perfect time to do it. “Are we still on for tomorrow? The movie’s at seven, right?”</p><p>“Right! I can’t wait. I haven’t been on a movie date in forever. It’s exciting!” She turned towards the others and put on a brave face. “Nice to meet all of you. I’m Maeda Akari, Tetsurou’s girlfriend.”</p><p>Within the next few moments, Kuroo was bombarded with reactions from all sides. His teammates expressed shock, excitement, and disbelief. Some of the guys were proud of him for managing to snag one of the cutest girls in school. Akari was more than happy to take control of the conversation and explain how they became close over the last couple of months.</p><p>A few people, however, were not thrilled. </p><p>Kenma took one look at Akari, adjusted his backpack, and stormed off in the opposite direction. It was obvious he wanted nothing more to do with the situation. The color drained from Kuroo’s face when he realized this was the first time Kenma had expressed actual anger with him.</p><p>“Hey, Kenma!” he called out, only for him to be completely ignored. Ouch.</p><p>Yaku had his arms crossed and he was <em>livid</em>. He was so upset at the realization of what happened that he clenched his jaw shut and pushed Kuroo to lock eyes with him. Kuroo kept a straight face, but the sheer disgust burning in them made him recoil.</p><p>“Are you coming to watch him practice today?” one of the club members exclaimed. “You should stop by! I bet if you’re there, we’ll have a chance at putting Kuroo in his place! He’ll be totally distracted!”</p><p>“Yeah, so will we,” one of them joked, elbowing his friend in the ribs. “Are you sure you want to settle for <em>this guy</em>? I bet I can impress you on the court today and you’ll totally wanna date me, instead.”</p><p>Kuroo felt a little numb at the exchange. Once upon a time, he had introduced you to his team members and the majority of them were downright rude to you. He was so distracted by his lost game that he didn’t find it in himself to defend you. This should’ve been easier for him. His friends were welcoming her with open arms and nearly salivating at the sight of her. It should’ve stroked his ego. It didn’t. In fact, it only fouled his mood, and he wasn’t even sure why.</p><p>Akari walked with him to class. She shot him smiles from across the room when he caught her eye. She jumped at the chance to work with him when they were given a passage to translate. She trailed after him when he left for lunch. She convinced him to go with her to a private spot, away from his usual lunch mates, so he could concentrate on trying the meal she made with such care for him.</p><p>He went through the motions, but his heart clearly wasn’t in it. He hoped she couldn’t tell. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings.</p><p>Kuroo really thought that having her at practice wouldn’t be a big deal. He stood on the court and did some stretches while Yaku and Kenma stood on the opposite side of the gym from him. Neither would even look his way.</p><p>“Hey, Maeda’s here!”</p><p>Half the team scrambled to her as she walked through the doors. She greeted everyone without a care in the world. Kuroo stole off to meet her and was comforted with the fact that she did seem excited to watch.</p><p>“Coach Nekomata said you can take a seat over there. We’ll call out to you if there’s a ball coming your way.”</p><p>“Oh, okay.” She didn’t seem to enthused with the idea of getting smacked in the face. “Well…good luck!”</p><p>He chuckled at her awkward sendoff and jogged back to his designated spot.</p><p>It was clear from the get-go that the team wasn’t entirely in sync. Kenma and Yaku weren’t giving their all…and it showed. Kenma didn’t care to analyze his opponent’s moves. Yaku outright ignored Kuroo’s directions so he could save the ball. It didn’t help that Taketora was so nervous with Akari’s presence that he missed a couple of perfectly set up spikes.</p><p>Coach Nekomata’s whistle cut through the air and he summoned them all over. He crossed his arms. “Practice is over.”</p><p>“What? We’ve barely been here an hour!”</p><p>“I’m not about to sit here and have you waste my time with that poor performance,” he snapped in response, causing all of them to tense. “That…was by far the most disgraceful thing I’ve seen in a long while. I’m ashamed <em>for</em> you. Don’t bother coming back tomorrow if you plan to do the same thing as today.”</p><p>They were dismissed. Kuroo was stunned at the turn of events. His teammates exchanged glances and headed for the locker rooms. Kuroo couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes, especially not Yaku or Kenma’s. He approached Akari at her spot and found that she was on her phone scrolling through her social media.</p><p>“Oh, hey! Is practice over?” She stood up excitedly. “That was fast!”</p><p>“Uh…yeah, kind of a short one today.” Kuroo cleared his throat. “I’ll go get changed and then I can walk you home.”</p><p>The locker room was dead silent. Kenma didn’t bother waiting for him. He and Yaku exited as soon as Kuroo walked in. He tried to pretend it wasn’t hurtful.</p><p>“Guess this is why we don’t have a female manager!”</p><p>The eerie silence disappeared as the rest of the team ribbed each other for their performance. Kuroo couldn’t find it in himself to join in. Especially not when they asked him if maybe Akari had some friends he could introduce them to.</p><p>“To be honest with you, I don’t know anything about volleyball,” Akari confessed as she walked with Kuroo outside the gym. “I had no idea what was going on.”</p><p>“It’s kinda confusing at first. You get the hang of it. If you want, I could send you some clips of beginner stuff.”</p><p>“Or you could teach me this weekend?” she giggled.</p><p>He laughed it off and realized she was right. He remembered how he forced you to play with him and Kenma when you were kids all because of his serious crush on you. He made fun of how terrible you were. Even though he was kind of a dick, you didn’t let him get the best of you. You rolled with his punches and instead spent all your energy on learning everything you could about the sport – if only to get back at him by criticizing his own techniques. Back then it made him realize he didn’t mind getting bested…if it was you doing it.</p><p>He and Akari made it past the main building of the school when he heard some shouting further down the way. He instinctively walked slower and bristled. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t pleasant in any way. He could pick up the tension and hostility from all the way here.</p><p>He was in a bad position. All of the other volleyball members already split. Any teachers working late were squirreled away inside the main building, blissfully unaware of the commotion outside. If it was a little bit warmer, they would’ve at least kept some windows open and might have heard something then. As it stood, it was pitch-black outside and there were several hulking figures in their direct path home.</p><p>“Who is that?” Akari whispered. “I don’t recognize those uniforms.”</p><p>Kuroo knew who it was as soon as those words left her lips. Now unafraid of what laid ahead, he told Akari to wait before he stepped forward to face his fate.</p><p>In the year or so that they’d known each other, Kuroo and Bokuto had become fast friends. At first, Kuroo was annoyed by his overzealousness and found him to be a little too much. You insisted that he give Bokuto a chance and he was always grateful for that. While Bokuto <em>could</em> be intense, he was also earnest, pure-hearted, inspiring and fun to be around.</p><p>Well…except for right now. Because right now, Bokuto looked like he was on the war path – and Kuroo happened to be his exact target.</p><p>“Hey,” Kuroo called out, trying to keep his expression neutral. “What’s up?”</p><p>“Bokuto,” Akaashi warned. He must have tagged along knowing what Bokuto’s intentions were from the beginning. “Do you want to get suspended from the team?”</p><p>Kaori and Yukie were there, too. It was clear they held the same amount of disdain for Kuroo, but neither of them thought he deserved to be confronted like this.</p><p>“I’m serious, Bokuto! If you don’t turn around right now, I’m not giving you a SINGLE YEN to spend on lunch for the rest of the year!”</p><p>“I’m calling Minoru,” Yukie sighed. She brought her phone out and pounded on the screen while trying to keep her gaze on Bokuto.</p><p>Kuroo saw Bokuto lunge for him and wasn’t quick enough to react. He felt the collar of his shirt constrict around his neck as the other boy attempted to hoist him off the ground. He could see the fire flickering in his golden eyes. People tended to think of Bokuto as childish, which was true for the most part. With that came the stark realization that Bokuto wasn’t good at managing his emotions. When he was upset, he threw tantrums and moped. When he was angry…well…</p><p>“You…I don’t even know what to say to you!” Bokuto shouted while shaking him. “I don’t even know you anymore! How could you betray her like that?!”</p><p>“Me? Betray <em>her</em>? Dude, do you hear yourself?” Kuroo attempted to brush his hand away and Bokuto refused to budge. “She was the one who moved on, first. You guys are all hypocrites. Why is it that she’s allowed to date someone else and I can’t?”</p><p>Bokuto gritted his teeth. “I <em>don’t </em>think it’s fair for her to do that! But you’re doing this to hurt her and that’s <em>wrong</em>!”</p><p>Kuroo couldn’t deny that outright. Part of him did hope you caught wind of it and experienced the same amount of heartbreak he did. Not because he was vindictive, but because he didn’t want to be alone in all of these suffocating feelings. His mouth went taut across his face in a straight line and he grunted as Bokuto’s grip tightened. He needed to get Bokuto to let go of him. There was no reasoning with him at this point, which only meant one thing: provocation.</p><p>Good thing he was an expert.</p><p>“I figured you’d be happy considering you’ve been wanting to date her all this time!” Kuroo smirked. Bokuto’s face became mottled with sharp streaks of red. “It wasn’t hard to see, especially not with you following her like a puppy. Are you mad at me, or the fact that she chose another guy before you had a chance? Acting like a knight in shining armor only shows her how desperate you really are. Then again, she doesn’t seem to have a problem making the rounds, so maybe she'll give you a go, too.”</p><p>He knew that Bokuto was going to punch him. He knew it was going to hurt. But hell, he wasn’t prepared for it. As soon as his fist connected with Kuroo’s face, a sharp stinging pain blossomed from its sheer force. He stumbled backwards and fell right onto his backside as the wind was knocked out of him. His hand flew up to rest against his tender skin and he winced when he realized he was definitely going to have a black eye in the morning.</p><p>“Bokuto!” Akaashi exclaimed. His usually calm demeanor cracked and split down the middle. “Stop!”</p><p>“He’s not sorry even a little bit!” Bokuto cried, his eyes glistening with frustrated tears. “I don’t care what you have to say about me, but <em>don’t</em> talk about her like that!”</p><p>Akari saw what happened and rushed over to Kuroo’s side despite his weak attempts to rebuff her fussing over him. “What the heck is wrong with you? Who are you? Why did you punch him?!”</p><p>“Do you guys realize how dumb you’re acting?” Kaori scolded them both. “She wouldn’t want you fighting over her like this! It doesn’t solve anything. Bokuto, I know you’re mad at him – we all are – but that doesn’t make it okay for you to do this!”</p><p>Bokuto’s knuckles were throbbing from the punch and he shook his hand out in the hope it would relieve some of his pain. Seeing Kuroo on the ground didn’t make him feel any better. When he glanced at his friends, he was ashamed and embarrassed at how he lost his cool.</p><p>Yukie came running up with Minoru flanked at her side. His martial arts school was thankfully not too far from Nekoma. He took one look at the scene and exhaled, all the tension melting away. It looked like he wasn’t needed after all. Things could’ve escalated more than this.</p><p>He walked up to Bokuto and clapped a hand on his shoulder. It was shaking. “Bokuto, Yukie’s going to treat your hand before you go home.”</p><p>“I don’t need it,” he sniffled, rubbing his arm along his face. It only smeared the tears and snot around, making Kaori and Akaashi sigh in exasperation. When he flexed his hand to prove it, he yelped. “…okay. Please wrap it for me.”</p><p>“Such a big baby…”</p><p>Minoru walked toward Kuroo and crouched down to examine his face. He dropped the bag from around his shoulder and rummaged through the first compartment. He came out with an ice pack and a towel.</p><p>“Ice it to reduce the swelling right now, and in a couple of days you’ll want to switch to a warm compress to stimulate blood flow. Did he knock you in the head? I don’t want to send you home with a concussion if that’s the case.”</p><p>“No. Just the face,” Kuroo mumbled. “Thanks, though.”</p><p>Minoru grabbed his hand and pulled him up off the ground with no strain at all. He examined Kuroo thoroughly before giving him the all-clear.</p><p>“I’m only going to say this once,” Minoru called over his shoulder, making sure Bokuto heard him. “I don’t want to come back and break up another fight. If you guys want to take it out on each other, then you can come to my dojo and do it under <em>my</em> supervision. But this kind of thing is extremely dishonorable…and I expected better from both of you. None of this is going to be resolved without talking it out.”</p><p>“But he—!” Bokuto couldn’t find it in himself to finish. His shoulders slumped and he was carted away by all three of the other Fukurodani students.</p><p>His figure faded from sight and Minoru ran a hand through his hair. “Miss, I think it’s better if I get you home.”</p><p>“Um, I don’t even know you…” Akari gave him a strange look. “Who is this?”</p><p>Kuroo gave her a brief introduction. He made sure to mention that Minoru was an old, trusted friend and he was part of the neighborhood watch committee where he lived. Akari was still reluctant to leave him, but Kuroo was too tired to deal with explaining things to her right now. He watched the both of them make way for her station and pretended not to see that she glanced back at him in concern.</p><p>His grandparents didn’t notice that he’d gotten into a fight, but they would sooner or later. Kuroo went to the bathroom and winced as he cleaned up the cut on his upper lip. Sheesh. Bokuto sure knew how to pack a punch. He wasn’t sure if he should be impressed or annoyed.</p><p>Akari checked up on him and he fired off an apology and reassured her that he was fine. He spent the rest of the night in bed. Lights off, no sound, just him and the soft glow of his phone screen bouncing off the ceiling.</p><p>As he scrolled through his social media, he realized that Akari already updated her status and made a post about their relationship. He had no clue she was going to do that. It wasn’t as if she needed permission from him, especially because it was her profile. He had no right to dictate her content. Still…he really wished she would have at least checked with him to make sure it was okay. She was so open with her life and he really wasn’t.</p><p>He couldn’t bring himself to like the post. He kept scrolling and pretended he didn’t even see it.</p><p>He had the urge to check up on your profile to see if there were any updates, even though he knew it would just be the rotten cherry on top of this shitpile of a night. His finger hovered over the search bar. After a few seconds of wavering between his two options, he realized he couldn’t do it.</p><p>He groaned and buried his face in the pillows. “What the hell am I doing?” he mumbled, eyes squeezing shut.</p><p>The rest of the week was more of the same. His teammates grilled him about how he managed to get beat up. He came up with a new story every day to keep them on their toes. Kenma and Yaku still gave him the silent treatment, though he wasn’t exactly doing anything to force them to talk. He figured that any attempt to hash things out would only end in disaster, so he backed off.</p><p>His first official date with Akari was postponed to that weekend. It went…fine. She chose a biopic about some singer and he almost fell asleep halfway through. There was no playful banter or popcorn war. He didn’t make a move to hold her hand and she got impatient, so she reached over to grab his arm and put it around her shoulders. She expected him to pay for the movie and snacks even though you would’ve insisted on going half with him.</p><p>“You going to come to my game next weekend?”</p><p>She chewed her lower lip. “Oh…I don’t know. Is it going to be long?”</p><p>“I mean, kinda. Did you have other plans?”</p><p>Akari shook her head. “No, it’s not that. It’s just…well…I still don’t really get volleyball? I’m sorry!”</p><p>He was embarrassed and had no idea why. All of his friends liked volleyball. You liked volleyball. It was strange knowing that his own girlfriend wasn’t into it. “No big deal. It’s not anything official, just another practice.”</p><p>“Ah, great!” She grabbed his hand and swung their arms, not bothered by how much space they took up on the sidewalk. “You know, you should totally come by my practice sometime since I go to yours! I think it’ll be a lot of fun.”</p><p>He wasn’t sure about it and gave her a halfhearted smile in return.</p><p>Akari was staying with her mom for the weekend and wouldn’t be heading his way. He walked her over to the space she would board from. He stuck his hands in his pockets and observed the crowd of people. He wondered if any of them could tell they were a couple.</p><p>“Well…” She clasped her hands together to grab his attention as the train barreled down the tracks toward them. “I guess this is goodnight.”</p><p>“Uh…yeah.” He knew what she was fishing for. She wanted him to kiss her.</p><p>He could feel beads of sweat pool at his hairline and reached up to brush it away. This wasn’t pleasant nerves. This was excruciating. He tried to avoid eye contact with her, but she wasn’t taking no for an answer. She turned to face him with an expectant smile on her face.</p><p>“Bend down,” she giggled, “you’re too tall.”</p><p>There were people around and it didn’t deter her in the slightest. He inched towards her at a snail’s pace, hoping that someone would bump into them and ruin the moment. That or the train would come to a full stop before their mouths could meet. He could feel his heartbeat pick up speed and struggled to get his breathing under control. All he could see was her long lashes and the slight pout of her lips as she waited for him halfway.</p><p>He could see every detail of her lips. They were covered in a thin layer of bold lipstick that suited her. He paused a hair’s breadth away from her and realized he was staring openly while she had her eyes shut. Her floral perfume was suffocating.</p><p>Kuroo jerked back and stepped away from her. He couldn’t do it. He could feel his face grow hot as several onlookers shook their heads. He wasn’t sure if it was out of pity or disgust at the open display of affection that almost occurred. He was relieved as soon as the doors opened and a group of people burst through, effectively cutting between him and Akari as they swept past.</p><p>When they were able to gravitate back towards each other, Akari tried her best to hide her disappointment. “Thanks for the date, Tetsurou. I had a lot of fun. Let’s go out again soon! I’ll text you as soon as I get home.”</p><p>He couldn’t bring himself to say anything other than goodbye. When she was out of sight, he tore away from the crowd and hurried to his own station.</p><p>He glanced down at his phone and found Akari had texted him. <em>Don’t worry,</em> she wrote. <em>We can take it slow. :)</em></p>
<hr/><p>“Hey, Jun. Do rebounds really work?”</p><p>He choked on the smoke he inhaled moments before your question. You watched in horror as it came out of his nostrils and mouth in harsh coughs. His eyes watered and he glanced around for something to drink. You handed him his water bottle without him having to ask. He tore the cap off and guzzled down a ton of it to stop his hacking fit.</p><p>“Where’d that come from?” His voice was scratchy and a little grating on your ears. “Is this about your ex?”</p><p>“I mean…I guess so. It never crossed my mind. I know you date pretty much right after you breakup with someone. Does it help you get over the other person?”</p><p>Jun leaned back into the sofa and seemed to be struggling to find the right words. “It’s different for everyone, I guess. For me it definitely keeps my mind off things. For other people it’s too painful and they end up making their heartbreak worse. It doesn’t work all of the time, either.”</p><p>“Hmm…” You fumbled with the chain around your neck. “Is that why you jump into things so fast? Because you want to move on?”</p><p>“I’m not sure…” He spared you a pensive look and reached forward for the TV remote. You were watching some kind of cheesy old horror movie for laughs and the sound was distracting. Once he was satisfied, he turned so he was facing you fully. “Part of it is that it hurts so bad I just want some relief. I hate feeling alone and a new relationship brings in all this warmth…if that makes sense.”</p><p>It was a little sad to hear. He was basically chasing after other people to feel whole again. Not healthy in the slightest. You wondered if it was the same for Kuroo or if he truly was ready to date someone else. He admitted to you on more than one occasion that he and Akari hit it off. He blew off one of your dates because he was so engrossed in their time together that he forgot all about you.</p><p>“Oh, don’t,” Jun laughed, thought it was more strained than you would’ve liked. “You’ve got that look on your face.”</p><p>“What look?”</p><p>“That look like everything’s falling apart.” He sighed. “If you’re that curious, you can always ask him.”</p><p>You weren’t ready for that. You were sure you would clam up and then end up saying a bunch of shit you didn’t mean. You weren’t looking to start a fight with him. You shook your head in response and buried yourself further into your hoodie.</p><p>“You know…” Jun paused as if he was trying to build himself up for his next words. “If you’re that curious about it…then maybe you should try it. It might work for you.”</p><p>“A rebound?” You were horrified at the thought. “No way. I’m not trying to use someone just to feel better about myself. I…don’t want to hurt anyone else.”</p><p>Jun shot you a shy smile. His fingers toyed with a strand of fabric hanging from the couch and you watched the end of it fray despite his gentle touch. “What if it’s with someone who you can trust and knows what they’re getting into? Someone who won’t take it personally?”</p><p>“I think I would ask that person if they’re a masochist?” you chuckled. “Jun, you don’t have to put yourself on the line for me. Seriously. Aniyah told me that a lot of girls seek you out specifically because they know you won’t say no. They use you to get over their ex-boyfriends. I’m not going to do that to you.”</p><p>“I…uh…”</p><p>He was speechless for a few moments. You were sure he hadn’t been given that kind of reaction before. Jun was softhearted and he wanted so badly to be in love that he grasped at whatever opportunity presented itself to him. You weren’t in a good place. You could see that well enough to know that you valued your friendship, enough that you weren’t interested in putting him through the wringer just to feel better about yourself.</p><p>“Let me…try that again…” You had only seen that kind of smoldering stare when he was staring after his girlfriends. “I know it’s not the best time for you right now. You’re still hurting. But if I can help you get your mind of things, even for a little while, then I want to try. All I’m asking for is one date. If by the end of it you don’t want to keep going, then I’ll back off.”</p><p>He didn’t let you respond right away. He made you promise to at least think about it. The rest of your time spent hanging out was awkward. You weren’t sure what his angle was. He phrased it like he was trying to help you, that much you understood. But did he feel anything for you at all? It was difficult to tell. You didn’t want him to force himself on a date because he felt like he had to.</p><p>After finishing up your homework when you got home, you took a long shower and tried to sort out your thoughts and feelings. Maybe someone like you did need a distraction in order to cope with things. Was that so wrong if both parties understood going into it?</p><p>You were torn. Part of you wanted to be strong enough not to need a crutch like that. At the same time, you were still wounded from Kuroo’s new relationship. You could see yourself obsessing over it every day until they broke up…if that ever happened. What if she was <em>the one</em> or something? And they stayed together forever and you ended up getting an invitation to a wedding in the near future?</p><p>You exhaled in annoyance and shut the water off, hand slipping out past the gaudy curtains so you could grab a soft, freshly washed towel. It kept the cold air from pricking your skin. You settled down on the edge of the bed and turned over a thousand possibilities in your head.</p><p>
  <em>Jun – I thought about it and I think I will go out with you. </em>
</p><p>You fired off the text and knew it would only be a few moments before he responded. He didn’t make you feel pressured to give him an answer right away, but you might as well get it over with. At least you could say you tried.</p><p><em>That’s awesome,</em> he wrote back. <em>I’ve got some stuff in mind. We can talk about it tomorrow.</em></p><p>As your date rapidly approached, you found yourself oddly at peace with it. You didn’t have those nerve-induced butterflies roaming around in your gut. They were at rest. Was it because you had come to accept this was actually going to happen? Or because you weren’t into Jun after all?</p><p>He and Kuroo were so different, and not necessarily in a bad way. It wasn’t fair to compare them…you knew that. You had to shelve those thoughts when you went out together. He was his own person. He didn’t have to measure up to anyone. You would take the experience as unique to him…or at least try to.</p><p>Neither of you mentioned it to Aniyah or Devon, mostly because you didn’t feel like they needed to know. Aniyah already warned you once before not to date him. Devon probably didn’t approve either. You understood why they would’ve been worried, but ultimately this was a decision the two of you made together.</p><p>“Hey, hon! Jun is here!” Paolo called from downstairs. “And he looks <em>hot!</em>”</p><p>You shook your head with a roll of your eyes. Paolo was obsessed with the idea of Jun pursuing a modeling career. You thought it was cute how much he doted on him since he didn’t have a son of his own. Jun was bad at taking compliments and seeing that familiar blush creep along the back of his neck made you laugh.</p><p>You did put more care into your appearance these days. You blamed Aniyah for it. She was always talking in your ear about looking cute and encouraging you to come out of your comfort zone. You used to recoil at the thought of dressing up and drawing attention to yourself in public. It was so easy to follow her example.</p><p>You walked down the steps in an outfit she picked out for you recently. It was a little colder now that fall was in full swing. You wore a white cowl sweater, a dark gray high-waisted pleated skirt with a belt nestled across your waist, black tights, and knee-high boots. You weren’t expecting an entire audience when you reached the bottom of the stairs.</p><p>Paolo put his fingers in his mouth for a sharp whistle. “Lookin’ good! Don’t you think so, honey?” He nudged Marques with an elbow as his husband nodded.</p><p>You got flustered and ignored their broad grins. You wanted to get out of here as fast as possible. You hadn’t even noticed that Jun showed up with roses. Shit! You tried to act nonchalant as you took them from him. You knew those things weren’t cheap and he went all out with a full dozen of them.</p><p>“I’ll take care of these for you while you’re gone,” Paolo hummed. “Once the petals start falling off, they’re going into my bath water.”</p><p>“Go for it,” Jun chuckled. “Ready?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>You were relieved as soon as you settled into his car. You spent so many car rides with him that it felt like second nature to get buckled up and adjust the seat. Jun wasted no time in getting you as far away from the house as possible. Both of you were embarrassed beyond belief and wanted to get out of the spotlight.</p><p>You weren’t surprised when he pulled up to one of your favorite restaurants in town. Jun was perceptive and filed away a bunch of information on his friends so he could spoil them. It was a little embarrassing walking through the doors and hearing him drop his name for the reservation. The atmosphere you’d been subjected to so many times was now relaxed and romantic.</p><p>You slid into the booth and he shrugged off his jacket before handing it to you. “Here. You should put this on, so you don’t stain your shirt.”</p><p>“Are you saying I’m a messy eater?” you teased.</p><p>He chuckled. “Are we not going to talk about the spaghetti sauce incident a few weeks ago?”</p><p>“Okay, okay. Noted.” You weren’t expecting it to fit, but it did. That was a welcome surprise, though Jun was tall and liked to wear baggy clothes in the first place. You nestled into its warmth and were comforted by the familiar smell of his faint cologne.</p><p>You fell into easy conversation. You didn’t feel stifled. You were friends. You had fun. You talked about a variety of topics, including his music, things going on at school, and his plans for the future. You even speculated on a few shows you’d been watching together. You realized about midway through waiting for your meals that Jun’s soft laughter was familiar and always put you at ease.</p><p>“Wow, you ordered a ton of food.” You gazed at his plate in surprise. “I mean, I know you ate a lot, but that’s…”</p><p>“Well, you like to steal from my plate all the time. I figured I would get enough for us to share.” He pushed it towards you. “You first.”</p><p>As much as you wanted to argue, he was right. You often picked from each other’s meals since you tended to like things he didn’t and vice versa. You got called out on more than one occasion when people found out you’d been trading side dishes under the table.</p><p>“That’s the second time you’ve called me out tonight!”</p><p>He bit down on his lower lip and suppressed a laugh. “Sorry. I just like seeing you get flustered. It’s really cute.”</p><p>“Says the guy whose face is always red when people boost his ego. Honestly, I’m sure you’ve heard it all your life, so I’d think you’d be used to it.”</p><p>“Actually, I was teased a lot as a kid. Being half-Japanese in a place like this, I was the butt of a lot of jokes. It didn’t help that my mom insisted on doing my hair at home, so I was subjected to a lot of weird bowl cuts growing up.”</p><p>“That’s cute.” You laughed at the mental image. “I love your mom so much. She always gets so excited when I stop by.”</p><p>“Because you guys talk in Japanese and make fun of me since I can’t understand you.”</p><p>“Hmmm…yup!”</p><p>You shared a huge dessert. You were stuffed by the time you walked out. Jun glanced over at you and explained that your next stop was down the street from the restaurant so you would walk there. You took your place at his side.</p><p>“Hey, um…do you mind if I hold your hand?”</p><p>It was sweet of him to ask. “No, go ahead.”</p><p>His fingers laced with yours. You tried not to think about how nice his hand felt.</p><p>You continued your conversation all the way down the sidewalk. The chilly air brought a healthy ruddiness to his cheeks. Even though you were surrounded by a bunch of people, you didn’t feel like people were singling you out.</p><p>Your next stop was a space museum. It was a little funny at first, mostly because you had no idea that Jun was such a nerd. He shot you a sheepish grin as you entered the front doors of the massive building.</p><p>“I know what you’re thinking. But I’ve got a trick up my sleeve.”</p><p>“Hey, if you want to look at the exhibits, I don’t mind.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>You followed him around for a quick tour. It wasn’t as crowded since closing time was rapidly approaching. There was a lot to see for sure. Jun looked on in wonder at the intricately crafted dioramas, interactive tours and the massive solar system hung from the ceiling. He snagged a quiz from the front desk before you slipped inside. You worked together to answer all the questions.</p><p>“You turn this in and it scores it for you.” He took your hand and brought you over to a machine at the end of the exhibit. “The more points you get, the better the prize.”</p><p>“You’ve been here a lot, haven’t you?”</p><p>He ran his finger along the sheet of paper before feeding it into the appropriate slot. “My mom’s work wasn’t too far from here. I would always beg her to let me come here to pass the time. My dad was deployed and I didn’t want to be at home alone.”</p><p>The machine lit up and a catchy little tune sounded off in the otherwise quiet room. You watched your points tally up to a perfect one hundred.</p><p>“You pick the prize.” Jun guided your hand across the touch screen as you swiped through the options. “It’s meant for kids, so it’s not really valuable stuff. It is nice, though.”</p><p>You paused on the screen and blocked him from looking. “Hey, no peeking. Question: what’s your favorite planet?”</p><p>“Saturn…why?”</p><p>You didn’t answer. You made your selection as the machine dispensed two little keychains. You thought they were really pretty. The keychains had small glass balls at the end of them and each was fashioned after a planet, moon, or a galaxy. You handed Jun his keychain and he rolled it around in his palm.</p><p>“What did you pick?”</p><p>You showed it to him. It was a striking depiction of the moon. The amount of detail that went into such a thing was impressive. They rendered craters and everything. You marveled at the way the lights reflected off the surface, earning a soft smile from Jun.</p><p>You filed into the planetarium, which was the whole reason you came in here. It was quiet and dark, the kind of atmosphere you would expect from him. You settled together in the coziness of the plush seats. It got to be a little cold, but he explained they laundered fresh blankets for each showing. He pulled one out from underneath the seat and spread it across your laps.</p><p>You reclined in your chairs and drank in the show. The narration was soothing as splashes of color spread across the ceiling. It all looked so real and vibrant. None of the intrusive thoughts from earlier had any place within you now. You were focused entirely on the visions of a place as unreachable as it was beautiful.</p><p>When the show ended, you reluctantly filed out with the few other patrons who stopped by. Your hand was encased in Jun’s and you didn’t even think about it until you stepped outside to the bustling city. You were thrown back into the chaos of loud conversations, honking horns, flash photography and obnoxious laughter.</p><p>“I didn’t really have anything else planned,” he admitted. “I thought you’d prefer something lowkey.”</p><p>“Well, we can just take a walk. I don’t mind.”</p><p>You spent the next half hour meandering around the various streets lined with bars, cafes, shops and restaurants. Jun would bend down to whisper in your ear about the weirdos who were out tonight. You laughed together and at one point stopped to listen to some guy playing the sax on the sidewalk. Once he realized you were on a date, he switched from his playful jazz to <em>Careless Whisper</em>. Another couple passing by stopped and went into a mocking dance.</p><p>“Oh my god, don’t even,” you laughed as Jun stepped back from you. “I’m not dancing to this.”</p><p>In response, he raised your hand up and twirled you around. You snorted in amusement and caught sight of the musician’s sneaky little smile. At least he was entertained.</p><p>You goofed off for a few more seconds. You were actually having a good time despite the pointing passersby or the occasional video taken of you. Well, until the girl nearby lost her balance and fell into you. Jun managed to grab you before you went down, but she reached out and snagged the back of your shirt in an attempt to break her fall. You lurched and heard the elastic in your sweater snap before she finally let go.</p><p>“You good?” Jun asked.</p><p>“Yeah.” You ignored the peals of laughter around you and attempted to straighten yourself out. “Hey, um, are you alright?”</p><p>The girl was obviously drunk and giggled as she got on all fours. Her boyfriend bent down to haul her off the ground. She waved at you and the two of them went back into their dance.</p><p>“I feel like we should split so we don’t get hurt.” Jun squeezed your hand a little tighter. “It’s getting kinda late. Paolo told me I had to bring you back before two or he would start handing out headshots of me to his clients again.”</p><p>You were disappointed the night was ending, but he was right. He had to get home after dropping you off. You took your time making your way back to the car, your steps slow and deliberate. Despite you needing to leave, you ended up leaning up against the hood of his car so he could find his keys in one of his many, many pockets.</p><p>When he did find them, he turned toward you with this genuine smile. You weren’t sure what compelled you to do it. You leaned forward and kissed him. It was brief. It was soft. It was tender. You halfway expected him to throw you against the car and bring you into a full-blown makeout session, but he didn’t. He returned the kiss gently and was the one to pull back first, your lips barely grazing as you realized what you’d just done.</p><p>You went up to fiddle with your necklace from nervous habit and your fingers met empty space. All of the fuzzy, romantic feelings were soon replaced with intense dread. You scooped the neck of your sweater down and searched for the familiar chain that rested against your collarbones, only to feel bare flesh underneath your fingertips.</p><p>“What's wrong?” Jun’s brows knit together when he saw the panic rise on your face.</p><p>“My locket,” you stammered. You clawed at your clothes and searched to no avail. You checked your pockets. You checked your purse. You dropped to the ground and turned on the flashlight to your phone to search the damp pavement. You didn’t even care about how you scraped your knees on the way down, nor were you concerned about any mud or dirt marring your sweater. “I-I can’t find it.”</p><p>Jun crouched down to help you look, though he was obviously confused. “What does it look like?”</p><p>“It’s on a gold chain and it’s shaped like a heart. I never take it off unless I shower, and I’m sure I had it on earlier. I know I did because I tucked it under my shirt so it wouldn’t get in the way when I ate. Shit. That was hours ago. What if it fell off?”</p><p>“Hey, it’s okay. We can backtrack. We’ll stop by the restaurant, they’re still open. I’ll leave a message at the museum so they can check in the morning.”</p><p>“I can’t wait until the morning, Jun!” You realized how crazy you sounded, but you didn’t care. “It was really fucking important! Please don’t tell me I lost it, oh my god. What if it fell off when that girl bumped into me? What if she did it on purpose to grab it on her way down?”</p><p>Jun put his hands on your shoulders to steady you. You were already crying. You rubbed at your face and smeared your makeup in the process. He didn’t seem bothered despite how shrill your voice was. When you attempted to back off from him, his grip became firmer.</p><p>“Hold still.”</p><p>He reached behind you and fumbled with the back of your sweater. He tugged at something and when he returned, the glittering jewelry rested in the palm of his hand. You snatched it before he could say anything else. You kept your fist enclosed around it tight and clutched it to your chest.</p><p>“Sorry,” you whispered, the panic finally ebbing away. “I…I freaked out. I was so scared I lost it.”</p><p>“It was wrapped up in your tag,” he explained. “I think it came undone when that girl grabbed you from behind. The chain is broken but it’s an easy fix. If you want, I know just the place to take it.”</p><p>You sniffled in response. He looked as pained as you were.</p><p>“Do you mind if I see what’s in it?”</p><p>You hesitated, but you opened it up to show him. Jun ran his eyes over the pictures. It became clear to both of you why you had such a visceral reaction. A sad smile broke out across his face as he turned it back towards you.</p><p>“You and Kuroo look happy here.”</p><p>“We were.” You swallowed hard. “Jun, I’m sorry, but I can’t do this. I can’t.”</p><p>“I know. It’s okay.” He handed it over. “You gave me one date like you promised. All I wanted was for you to have fun. And you did, right?”</p><p>You nodded and he helped you up. You lingered in front of the driver seat door and he ran a hand through his hair.</p><p>“I can’t say I’m not jealous of Kuroo…big time,” Jun admitted. “But don’t worry about me. I hope this doesn’t make things weird between us.”</p><p>“No, it doesn’t.” You could say that with sincerity. “I know we haven’t known each other long, but you’re one of my best friends. I wouldn’t give that up unless you wanted it.”</p><p>“I feel the same way.” He led you around to the other side so he could open the door for you to get in. “Let’s get you home.”</p><p>The silence for the duration of the ride wasn’t awkward, though there was this air of finality that came with it. You both knew that as things stood right now, you weren’t ready to move on. Not by a long shot. You were still very much in love with Kuroo…even if the feeling wasn’t mutual anymore.</p><p>“Oh no. Paolo is gonna think you made me cry,” you laughed, rubbing at your smeared mascara and eyeliner.</p><p>“It wouldn’t be the first time a girl did that on a date with me.” You weren’t sure if he was joking, but you grinned at him anyway. “I mean what I said before. I actually admire you a lot for…well, being straight with me. I could’ve just pretended I didn’t see it and pushed forward.”</p><p>“I wouldn’t do that to you, Jun.” You rested your hand against his chest and patted it softly. “I’m not going to give you false hope like that and force myself to think I’m actually okay with things. I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”</p><p>“Don’t be. I had a really, really good time.” He squeezed your hand before releasing it and stepping backwards toward his car. “We still on for game night in a few days? My mom hasn’t stopped talking about it.”</p><p>“Of course. I’m kicking your ass this time.”</p><p>You dodged Paolo and Marques when you got inside. You made a beeline straight for your room. It didn’t take long for you to slough off the remnants of tonight’s date. You placed the locket on the counter, far away from the sink plotting to swallow it whole, and focused on taking a few big, deep breaths.</p><p>You weren’t tired yet. The adrenaline from earlier made it difficult to sleep. You booted up your laptop and saw Kenma was playing a video game. You clicked on his username to watch, but he sent you an instant message before you could. He wanted to know if you were free to talk on the phone. Strange. Kenma preferred texts over face-to-face conversation.</p><p>You knew you looked like ass. You turned on your video anyway. He came into view and you greeted him with your best smile.</p><p>“Hey, dude. What’s up? I can’t believe I managed to get you away from gaming.”</p><p>He glanced over to the side and then returned his attention to the screen. “I wanted to ask you how you were doing.”</p><p>“Oh, uh…pretty good. School is crazy, but in a few weeks, we get a break for Thanksgiving. All I know is, there’s going to be a huge party thrown here. I’ve been given permission to grab a plate and come upstairs to eat in peace.”</p><p>He looked like he was trying to smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “And how are things with you and Jun?”</p><p>“Jun?” You were baffled. “Why?”</p><p>He looked uncomfortable. So were you. “I was just curious. I know you guys are dating…”</p><p>You had no words. “Uh…no? We’re definitely not dating. Who told you that?”</p><p>The alarm on his face would’ve been hilarious in any other situation. “I…I thought…”</p><p>“No,” you told him firmly. “We’re not dating. But Kenma, where did you hear this?”</p><p>Kenma quietly explained the entire situation to you. He said Yaku overheard Aniyah scolding Jun while you were on the phone. You had no idea what he was talking about – until it hit you.</p><p>“Dude…Yakkun really needs to brush up on his English. Aniyah asked Jun why he didn’t tell her that he was dating one of her <em>classmates.</em> Not me. She was pretty pissed about it because he’d just broken up with someone like a few days beforehand. Did you guys really think that I would just jump into a new relationship so fast? Kuroo’s the one you should be grilling, anyway. I heard from Yukie and Kaori that he started dating Akari. Big fucking surprise. I should’ve known he would jump at the chance as soon as we broke up.”</p><p>You knew that Kenma didn’t ask for you to unload everything on him. You couldn’t stop yourself now that you were rolling.</p><p>“Actually, you know what? Jun did ask me out yesterday. He said maybe I would feel better if I had a rebound, too. We went out tonight and had a lot of fun. But I’m not okay with it. I seriously don’t know how Kuroo can just jump into another relationship so fast. I can’t do that. It’s barely been a few months and I’m still getting my shit together.”</p><p>Kenma kept looking past the webcam. You figured it was a nervous tic since he really didn’t like confrontation or raised voices.</p><p>“I’m not going to be like him. You can let everyone know that. I’m not going to rely on someone else to help me get over things, okay? Kuroo can live happily ever after with the girl he blew me off for. I’m not going to use someone to get back at him because I care too much about what we had to stoop that low.”</p><p>Once your rant was finished, you mumbled out an apology for unleashing on him like that. Kenma was mortified. You rubbed at your temples.</p><p>“Look…I’m sorry. Talking about this is just exhausting. Jun and I aren’t a thing and will never <em>be</em> a thing. Please tell everyone that. I’m actually kind of pissed that you guys would make such a big assumption and not even double check with me before just accepting it at face value. I’ll talk to you later.”</p><p>The call ended and Kenma closed his laptop. Nestled behind the scope of the webcam, Kuroo buried his face in his hands and let out a shaky laugh.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Everyone last chapter: KICK HIS ASS, BOKUTO!<br/>Me, cracking my knuckles: Y'all read my mind!</p><p>Actually, I was really torn about that scene, mostly because we ALL know Bokuto is a sunshine boi who can do no wrong. BUT we have also seen glimpses of him acting like a child even as a 3rd year. He really lets his emotions affect his plays, so that's my rationale for his reaction. Also because he loves you. Very, very much. &lt;3</p><p>This "arc" is coming to a close, as you can tell. I wanted to thank you guys so much for sticking with it. I'm also very thankful that my OCs aren't a hindrance to the story; I know it can be a lot.</p><p>Have a great week everyone!</p>
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<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Make Amends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kuroo gets the wake-up call he so desperately needed.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter was a blast to write and I'm hoping y'all find a little bit of closure from it. &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kenma was never a confrontational person. He was lucky you and Kuroo always managed to pick up on his discomfort before it got the point where he felt he had to say something. </p><p>He did express annoyance during practice and he complained when he overexerted himself. Those were minor inconveniences at most. Aside from the recent fight he had with Taketora (where the other player forced his hand by getting physical), or the slight bullying from his upperclassmen on the volleyball team (which Kuroo encouraged him to ignore), he was never the type to let things get to him.</p><p>Kenma was always a factor in Kuroo's relationship with you because you were all close friends. He didn't like taking sides in the midst of your arguments, tiffs, and disagreements. He tried to mediate since he saw how important you were to each other.</p><p>Kuroo had never done anything so severe that Kenma refused to take his side...until Kuroo outwardly admitted that he was going to date a girl just to spite you. Even worse, that girl was the very person he'd ignored your texts and calls for. His loyalty to his oldest friend was finally challenged. It was jarring for Kenma to realize that he was legitimately angry and upset with Kuroo. Kuroo had been the one to protect and nurture him in the entirety they'd known each other. Seeing him in such a negative light shattered all of the profound respect and adoration he held for him as the older brother he never had.</p><p>"Hey, Kenma. I'm not leaving until you come out. I can stay here all night." </p><p>Kuroo was thankful that the Kozume family had no qualms about letting him inside their home even in the midst of a fight. Their real first fight, if he had to be honest. It was strange being on the receiving end of such brutal silent treatment. He thought giving Kenma some space would work, but it had been outright days of avoiding each other. Kuroo was tired of not being able to talk to his own best friend about what was going on in his life. He needed the chance to explain himself.</p><p>"I don't want to talk to you," Kenma finally muttered through the door. "Go home."</p><p>"Nope. I need to set things straight." Kuroo leaned against the door and could hear shuffling inside. He let out a weary sigh and tried not to think about the harrowing week he had. The bruise on his eye had finally dulled to a muted brown and he was thankful that nothing in his face had been broken from the fight earlier in the week. "C'mon, man, my legs are getting tired."</p><p>He knew that Kenma would eventually open the door. As soon as the lock unclicked, Kuroo turned the handle and let himself in. Kenma already retreated to his desk chair and had his headphones on. Kuroo didn't pay him any mind. He strutted over, snatched them off his mop of blond hair, and sank down onto the mattress directly across from him.</p><p>“Long time no see, dude.”</p><p>Kenma glanced at him with his brow furrowed. "What do you want?"</p><p>"I want to know why you're so angry. I mean, I guess I kind of get it, but..." Kuroo scuffed his heel against the floor in an attempt to distract himself from Kenma's icy stare. "Does it really piss you off that bad that I'm dating someone else?"</p><p>Kenma's hands, which had been shoved in his hoodie pockets, squeezed into fists. "You don't even like Akari," he said finally. "You're just using her."</p><p>Kuroo wasn’t sure what to say at first, mostly because he felt gobsmacked that the words even left Kenma’s mouth. It was difficult not to note how biting his tone was. It meant he felt strongly about this, enough that he was willing to risk a rift between them. Kuroo found he couldn’t meet his friend’s earnest gaze and instead focused on the well-kept figurines that lined the shelf above their heads.</p><p>“I don’t—”</p><p>“What do you like about Akari?” Kenma pressed. “Name five things.”</p><p>He chuckled and rubbed his left arm to stave off the goosebumps that prickled there at the notion. “You really want to know?”</p><p>“I’m asking because you can’t think of any.” Kenma was resolute now. He wasn’t going to back down. He would stand his ground and force Kuroo to see things from his point of view, one way or another. “Getting along with someone doesn’t mean you should date them. You barely know anything about her.”</p><p>“I don’t have to know everything to know that I like her.”</p><p>“Then answer the question: what <em>do</em> you like about her?”</p><p>Kuroo hesitated. In truth, he was scrambling for reasons as soon as the question left Kenma’s mouth. He was stalling and they both knew it. It shouldn’t have been difficult to determine why he enjoyed his own girlfriend’s company so much. She was cute, he supposed. A lot of guys seemed to think so. She was smart and independent which were admirable traits. When they initially spent time together to work on the project, she breathed life into his boring old routines. Did he feel the same way now?</p><p>“Told you. You can’t do it.” Kenma’s eyes closed as he tried to pick his next words with care. He didn’t want Kuroo to get defensive. “You only asked her out because you were jealous and hurt. Because you heard she and Jun were dating.”</p><p>“Well, they are. And it’s not like I…” The words died in his throat. “I’m just trying to show her that I can move on, too.”</p><p>“So you’re admitting you went through with it for someone else. Not because you actually have feelings for Akari.” Kenma was renowned in the gaming community for his quick wit and strategical mind, and those skills translated with ease on the court when he played volleyball. He wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip by. He could see the self-assured armor start to crack. “You jumped into it because your feelings were hurt.”</p><p>Kuroo groaned and flopped backwards onto the bed, sinking between the two pillows nestled comfortably near the headboard. “Okay. You’re right. I did ask her out because I was upset. But it’s not like that, she is really nice, and I like spending time with her.”</p><p>A moment of silence passed. Kenma’s expression softened, mostly because he was relieved that he managed to drag some honesty out of Kuroo for the first time in weeks. It felt like the distance between them finally lessened somewhat.</p><p>“Why didn’t you tell me about her and Jun?” he asked, voice wavering. “You found out a while ago. No one said anything to me.”</p><p>“I didn’t want it to be real. When they told me, I kind of lost my cool. It still hasn’t really sunk in. Besides, Yaku said she was trying to keep it on the down low, so…”</p><p> “That’s what I don’t understand, Kuroo. We’re her closest friends. Even if she felt guilty, she wouldn’t hide it from us. She would say something. Did anyone ask her if it was true?”</p><p>“No, I mean…like I said…he found out by accident, so…”</p><p>Kenma shook his head and made sure that his next words were clear. “Don’t you want to know for sure? We have to hear it from her. <em>You</em> need to hear it from her. If it <em>is</em> true, which I don’t think it is, then it’s better to know why she was able to move on so fast.”</p><p>Kuroo stared at the ceiling without saying a word. He didn’t want to be overwhelmed by what-ifs anymore. He didn’t want to spend night after night asking himself what he could have done differently or if you were truly done with him altogether. He was sick of beating himself up. There was no point in wasting another second of his life obsessing over the same questions that bounced around in his head.</p><p>Wouldn’t it be better to have clarification? Closure? There was no way he could ever heal if he watched his wounds fester as the days passed by. Picking at it like a cut that finally scabbed over, peeling away the layers until it would leave a permanent scar. He didn’t want to carry that around with him for the rest of his life.</p><p>“We have to ask her.”</p><p>“I can’t, dude.” Kuroo brought himself up into a sitting position, cross-legged and head still hanging low. “I haven’t talked to her in months. Not since we broke up. Last time she didn’t even give me a chance to explain anything. She just ended things and that was it. I don’t think I’d be able to focus on what she was saying. Not when I have all these other things I need to get off my chest.”</p><p>Kenma turned on the desktop computer anyway. Kuroo watched his fingers dart across the keyboard as he signed into his profile. He reclined back in his spot and laced his fingers behind his head. He could hear Kenma sign into one of his favorite games as the loading screen music popped on.</p><p>“So…what now?”</p><p>“I’m waiting for her to get on.” Kenma glanced at the corner of his screen, where a permanent time zone converter was pinned. “It’s late, but it’s the weekend. Once she signs in, I’m going to ask her about Jun. You don’t have to say anything. You can just listen.”</p><p>Kuroo flinched. Maybe it would have sounded good if he wasn’t horrified by the thought of finally getting the full, unadulterated details of why you made the decision you did. He had no room to argue, though. Kenma was one of the only people out there right now who still gave him the benefit of the doubt and tried to understand him. He couldn’t say no and risk more tension between them.</p><p>Just as Kenma predicted, you signed on and attempted to watch him play video games. Kenma set up the video chat instead. Kuroo was too freaked out to be in frame. He couldn’t do it. He wanted to hear you go into detail even as much as it would hurt. You might be less inclined to do so if you knew he was there. Instead, he forced himself backwards to the edge of the bed in a safe zone.</p><p>As he heard you speak, his heart clenched in his chest. It gave him a rapid rush of butterflies that he hadn’t felt in…well, weeks, maybe even months. He was queasy and elated at the sweetness to your tone in interacting with Kenma. He remembered how those lips of yours felt on his throat and mouth, trailing kisses from his collarbone and across his shoulders. He clenched the blankets tight in whitened knuckles and tried to find the ability to breathe again.</p><p>Kenma asked the question they were all dying to know. “And how are things with you and Jun?”</p><p>“Jun?” You sounded confused and Kuroo wasn’t sure why. Did you really think you could hide the truth forever? Were you surprised that your friends caught wind of it before you could come clean? “Why?”</p><p>Kenma floundered for a moment. “I was just curious. I know you guys are dating…”</p><p>“Uh…no? We’re definitely not dating. Who told you that?”</p><p>Kuroo froze. Was he hearing things? Did you just…deny it? No. You had to be lying. Yaku wouldn’t make that kind of thing up. Was it that you would just play dumb and hope that Kenma would drop it? Pretend that this was a shock? He couldn’t entertain the other possibility, because if that was true, then…</p><p>Kenma glanced at him and they shared the exact same panicked look. “I…I thought…”</p><p>“No.” Your voice was serious. Angry, almost. “We’re not dating. I’m not ready yet. But Kenma, where did you hear this?”</p><p>Kuroo heard the rest of the conversation and your explanation. It was hard for him to decipher each word with the amount of care he truly needed as the world around him went muffled. Your voice no longer sounded as saccharine and lilting as it did moments before. It was accusatory…livid. You spewed out words drenched in disgust and disappointment, and each one left a hot flash of pain in the center of his chest. He clawed at it to quell the severity of his discomfort, only for it to worsen tenfold.</p><p>Everything crashed down on him at once. It was a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding that rocked him to his core and pushed him to make one of the most impulsive, reckless decisions in his life. He was horrified by what he’d done. It nearly brought him to tears.</p><p>In his efforts to show you that he could move on just as fast, he ended up pushing you to the very person he didn’t want you dating in the first place. It didn’t bring him any comfort knowing that you and Jun decided against going steady, because the foundation was already there. You said you had a great time with another guy. You went out with someone else because Kuroo made that decision. Because Kuroo foolishly asked someone out to spite you – and not only that, but it was a figure in his life that caused you so much distrust and hurt in the first place.</p><p>What had he done?</p><p>He was such a moron. He couldn’t stop the nervous laughter bubbling in his throat. It came out in short bursts as he sank down onto the mattress. No amount of time would help him process this. He broke your heart – not once, but twice. He thought he was growing and becoming a better person for you, then selfishly decided to lash out when he thought you moved on. He was just as immature and ignorant as before.</p><p>You were working on yourself. What the hell had he been doing all this time?</p><p>This wasn’t who he was. He wasn’t a deadbeat boyfriend. He wasn’t a jerk. He had no excuses for it this time. He said and did things out of anger and because he was ashamed of his actions, but that didn’t give him a right to push away the people he cared about. He inflicted so much hurt on himself thinking he would be the only one to feel it. He couldn’t have been more wrong.</p><p>“Told you she wouldn’t do that to you,” Kenma told him softly. He was much less tense now that the conversation was over. “You need to make it right.”</p><p>“Yeah. I guess I do.” He grabbed onto the nearest pillow and held it tight, not even bothering to hide the fact that its softness always reminded him of you. “I really fucked up. I need to talk to Akari tomorrow and…straighten everything out.”</p><p>“Once you do, you need to talk to <em>her</em>.” Kenma pointed at the nearby picture of you for emphasis. “The silent treatment isn’t working, Kuroo.”</p><p>“You’re right. I should have fought more for her to explain it all to me. I have to talk it out with her. She didn’t deserve any of this.” Kuroo shuddered. The room felt so much colder now that it was devoid of your voice. “I’m sorry, Kenma. You got caught up in the middle of this and it has nothing to do with you.”</p><p>“You’re family…” Kenma sighed, a little embarrassed at the fact he had to say it aloud. “I’ll do what I can for both of you.”</p><p>Kuroo trudged home with his mind in disarray. He had so many things he had to take care of. First off, he had to talk with Akari and break things off. His conversation with Kenma told him everything he needed to know about their so-called relationship. He enjoyed being friends with her, but it wasn’t love. There wasn’t any attraction at all. He wasn’t ashamed to say there was only one girl out there who made him go absolutely crazy.</p><p>He also needed to set things straight with his friends. Bokuto, Akaashi, Kaori, Yukie and Yaku – they all deserved a sincere apology. They were always supportive of your relationship. As much as they irritated him recently, he could see that their anger towards him was well-deserved. He made an ass out of himself and they stuck by their decision to support you. He could respect that.</p><p>Finally, he would put aside some time to talk things over with you. You broke up with him months ago and nothing had been resolved. It was like a cloud of tension that followed him everywhere because of it. While he completely understood why you cut him off the way you did, it wasn’t the right solution anymore. You had too much history and love for each other to leave it that way.</p><p>With his mental checklist in order, Kuroo headed off to bed. The next few days were going to be some of the most harrowing, he bet, but it had to be done. He thought he was doing okay after this breakup. It didn’t occur to him that things had gone so downhill afterwards. He hadn’t been able to see it. Now it was crystal clear that he acted irrationally and selfishly. He was determined to undo the damage he caused.</p><p>He texted Akari as soon as he woke up for school. He asked to meet her at the gym before class. She was happy enough to agree even if it meant leaving a little earlier. As he washed his face and took glances at himself in the mirror, he wondered if she would slap him so hard he would have a stinging red cheek to go with his healing eye.</p><p>He spent the entire trip to school mulling over what he would say. He had to be sincere with her. There was no merit in trying to defend himself. He really hoped that she would hear what he was saying and not turn it on herself. She was a good person and deserved better than to be someone’s rebound. He knew that for sure.</p><p>He felt as bitter as the wind when he stepped off the bus. His steps were sluggish and heavy, but he held his head high. No one happened to be outside just yet. Some teachers were barely filing in and none of them paid him any mind. He kept his pace down the winding path toward the gym, the bare, spindly trees and heavy gray clouds creating a fitting backdrop behind him.</p><p>Akari stood outside of the gym with a smile on her face. She got here early. She wasn’t suspicious at all which made him feel that much worse.</p><p>“Morning, Tetsurou! What’s wrong? You don’t look so good.”</p><p>“Akari, uh…” He didn’t want to beat around the bush. Now or never. “I wanted to say I’m sorry. Back when I asked you out, it was because I thought my ex started dating someone new. I asked you out on a whim and that was messed up of me. What I’m trying to say is, I don’t have any feelings for you. I-I can’t be your boyfriend. Please don’t take this as an excuse or me just trying to soften the blow…this was all my fault. I was a huge dick for taking advantage of you like that.”</p><p>He wasn’t sure what reaction he was expecting. Hurt, jealousy, anger, maybe? As he waited with bated breath, he could see the realization spark in her eyes. The happy-go-lucky smile was replaced by something far more strained.</p><p>“Oh,” she stammered. “I-I’m sorry, Tetsurou – I thought that’s what we were both doing.”</p><p>“Huh?” He gaped at her. “What?”</p><p>“I thought we were both agreeing to be each other’s rebounds. I mean…it’d only been a little while since we both got dumped. When you pounced on me like that, I seriously thought it was because you wanted me to take your mind off things. I wanted that too. I guess I misunderstood things. You went into this thinking it was real and I, um…well, I used you, too? I really do feel bad now that I’m hearing you out. You’re really nice, Tetsurou, but I went into this because I thought we…um…were both going to just have fun and get ourselves ready to go back out there later on.”</p><p>Kuroo wasn’t sure whether he should laugh or cry. “But…when I first asked you out, you got super pissed and said you didn’t want it to be like a pity date.”</p><p>“Yeah, because I thought for sure you were just going out with me so I would stop crying to you all the time.” She scratched the tip of her nose. “At that point I knew I had to find someone else to make me forget about him. So when you approached me, and you had just gotten dumped, then I was sure that we were on the same page.”</p><p>He was embarrassed beyond belief. “Well…damn. Okay, then.”</p><p>Akari walked toward him and reached up to pat his shoulder. “I thought I was doing you a favor by trying to get you to let your guard down with me. Like, when I tried to kiss you? I thought for sure it would help you put everything behind you and focus on me. You’re super hot, but not hot enough that I’d risk a whole mob of your ex’s friends coming after me.”</p><p>Kuroo was positive Akari was scared out of her mind that night. What a way to start off a halfhearted relationship. “Yeah. You didn’t do anything wrong. It was all me.”</p><p>“Don’t feel bad about me, okay? I’m not emotionally invested and it’s clear to me that neither are you. So…let’s just put an end to this.” Akari brushed past him, her gait teeming with confidence. Before she rounded the corner to the school, she turned around with her hands on her hips. “By the way,” she called out to him. “Please tell your friends in the club they’re coming on way too strong! It’s no wonder girls are scared of watching you guys practice!”</p><p>That brought a genuine laugh out of him. He felt so much lighter once she was out of sight. It was one less thing for him to stress over. Akari would be fine and so would he.</p><p>The rest of the day went by without any complications. The load off his shoulders made it easier for him to concentrate during his lessons. Even a pop quiz didn’t catch him by surprise. He snuck glances at Yaku now and then. He would be his next target in redemption, whether he liked it or not.</p><p>Officially, there wasn’t any practice, but Kuroo knew that Yaku snuck into the gym after classes anyway. He must have been dealing with his extra frustration by taking it out on the volleyballs. He waited for a few minutes after everyone filed out of the classroom before making a beeline for the empty building where he was sure to be.</p><p>Just as Kuroo predicted, Yaku was inside. It looked like he changed and started off the afternoon with some basic drills, running laps around the entirety of the gym, jumping jacks, push ups and the like. He did his best to open the door as quietly as he could, peering through the crack as Yaku pushed himself to go one more set.</p><p>Kuroo’s shoes echoed against the floors and the noise disrupted Yaku’s receive. The ball bounced and hit the floor when the shorter of the two whipped around to face the source of the noise. Kuroo shot him a sheepish grin which was not returned in the slightest. Instead, Yaku huffed to himself and bent down to retrieve the rogue ball before it could roll away.</p><p>“Yaku,” Kuroo called out to him, knowing he would get the silent treatment either way. “Got a minute?”</p><p>“I’m busy.” He didn’t even bother looking over his shoulder. “Go bother someone else.”</p><p>“I know you don’t want to see me, but it’s important.” Kuroo closed the distance between them, noting how Yaku’s shoulders tensed as the proximity between them diminished. “I promise that if you don’t like what I have to say, I’ll leave. Just hear me out.”</p><p>Yaku put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “What? You want to tell me that Akari is a great girl and I’m being too harsh on her?”</p><p>“No. I wanted to tell you that we broke up.”</p><p>It wasn’t the best reaction, but Yaku did finally face him. He wasn’t impressed. “Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?”</p><p>Kuroo sighed and rubbed at the space between his brows. Riling people up was so easy. Talking them down? Not so much. He knew he wasn’t the best at emotional intelligence. Sometimes he took things too far and people expected the worst out of him. He should’ve known that Yaku would be one of the last people to trust him even if he was actually being sincere.</p><p>“We broke up because it was a mistake. I never had feelings for her. You knew that. I was being stupid.” Kuroo tried to gauge whether Yaku was finding any comfort in his words, but the other boy’s face was blank. “When I heard from you about her and Jun…I freaked out and made a dumb decision. I’m not looking for sympathy, but I am trying to make up for it. I wanted you to know that Kenma talked with her and the whole thing was a misunderstanding. She and Jun were never dating. That day you overheard their conversation in English, it was misinterpreted.”</p><p>Yaku’s icy exterior finally broke. Horror seeped across his once-placid features. “W-what?”</p><p>“Yeah. It caught me off guard, too. But I wanted you to know that it’s not your fault. You misheard her and that’s all. You wanted to keep it a secret from me in the first place. It got out of hand. But things are cleared up now, so it’s fine.”</p><p>Yaku’s eyes were downcast. He was floored with how he ended up causing irreparable damage to everyone’s perception of you. “I…I need to talk to her and apologize. I didn’t mean to hurt her. I was afraid of asking her outright because I didn’t want to hear that she moved on. I should’ve trusted her.”</p><p>“We’re all in a weird place. You’ve known her the longest. It makes sense that you wouldn’t want to believe she’d do something like that. So…” Kuroo exhaled long and hard. “Don’t beat yourself up about it. I know you always want what’s best for her. You’ve been a good friend to her, more than I could ever be. I’ve always been kinda jealous of how close you two are, but it’s clear to me that it’s for a reason. You’re a good guy, Yaku, and you mean everything to her.”</p><p>What happened next was something Yaku never would’ve expected in a million years.</p><p>Kuroo Tetsurou, the very same who teased and goaded him at every turn, actually dropped down to his knees and bowed. His palms slapped flat on the floor and his forehead rested against the cool wood. A few seconds of heavy silence passed between them before Kuroo spoke.</p><p>“I’m asking if you could consider forgiving me for everything I put you guys through these past few months. I know I don’t deserve her, but I’m still trying to be the kind of person who you would approve of. I respect your guys’ relationship. Please give me another chance.”</p><p>“A-are you insane?” Yaku cried out, head whipping back and forth. “Get off the floor, you weirdo! Someone could walk in and see you like this!”</p><p>Kuroo didn’t budge. “I don’t care. This kinda thing doesn’t bother me because I want you to know how serious I am. I’m sorry.”</p><p>After finally calming down, Yaku rubbed at his face vigorously. “I will, but on one condition.”</p><p>“Anything.”</p><p>“You have to admit that meat is better than fish.”</p><p>Kuroo’s neck craned upwards to get a better look at Yaku, who towered over him for the first time in his life. “What?” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Are you serious?”</p><p>“Dead. Serious.” Yaku leered down at him. “And that cats are better than dogs. You have to admit I have better taste in girls than you, too! Short hair is infinitely cuter! Say it!”</p><p>“Alright, alright!” Kuroo exclaimed, dropping his head back down. “Meat is better than fish. Cats rule and dogs drool. Short-haired girls are top tier. Anything else?”</p><p>“Molten volleyballs are the better brand.”</p><p>Kuroo couldn’t believe his ears. “Dude.”</p><p>“Do you wanna be forgiven or not?” Yaku smirked, loving the way he finally had the upper hand over Kuroo. After all these years they’d been aware of each other, it felt like Kuroo was ten steps ahead of him. He wasn’t about to let this opportunity slide. “Say it!”</p><p>“Molten volleyballs are better than Mikasa ones,” Kuroo spat, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. “There.”</p><p>Yaku chuckled and bent down to pat Kuroo’s shoulder. Kuroo lifted himself up, only for the color to drain from his face when he saw the smartphone nestled in the palm of Yaku’s hand.</p><p>“One commemorative photo should do it.”</p><p>“Aw, c’mon, man!”</p><p>After having his groveling solidified in history forever by digital evidence, Kuroo sighed and drew himself up. At least Yaku looked in better spirits. Why wouldn’t he? After years of the two of them going head-to-head, he managed to beat Kuroo at something. Kuroo would let him savor this victory because he was sure as hell NOT going to let this kind of thing happen again.</p><p>“I do have a favor to ask of you, though.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I need to talk to her over video chat. I doubt that she’ll respond to me. I know it sucks, but could you set something up?”</p><p>Yaku sighed wearily. “Are you actually gonna show up this time?”</p><p>The words stung, but they were well-deserved. “I will. I promise. And if not, I’ll do the same thing over again – this time in front of the entire team.”</p><p>Yaku picked up the volleyball and tossed it at Kuroo with ease, smiles lighting up on both their faces. “Alright. I’ll do it. Now practice with me so we can make up for all those terrible plays we made when I was mad at you.”</p><p>Once Yaku was satisfied with practice, Kuroo made sure to take a long shower to rid himself of any lingering doubts. He had somewhere to be in about half an hour and he needed to prepare himself for the worst. If he thought Yaku was bad, this next hurdle was going to be one that he wished he had backup for.</p>
<hr/><p>A crowd lingered outside of the bus stop as he stepped off. He managed to push his way out and join the lines of people headed in his direction, keeping a steady rhythm so that the flow of traffic continued as smoothly as possible. He waited at the stoplights glittering with a very thin layer of frost. His body was in autopilot mode. The clamor of the city seemed distant since he was so busy turning over the possibilities in his head.</p><p>Pulling his jacket tighter along his body, he placed his hand on the door and pushed his way inside. It was busy tonight…as always. The smells floating from the kitchen eased his nerves, if only slightly. He greeted the hostess at the front desk, hoping he was early enough not to face the combined attitude of both girls.</p><p>“Kuroo.”</p><p>Ah, shit. He whipped around and found Kaori and Yukie both staring pointedly at him. Neither of them gave him the usual polite smiles and energetic greeting. He shot them both an awkward smile as the hostess stepped down. He wasn’t sure if she was trying to clear the tension in the air, but he was grateful she shuffled forward and showed them to their seats.</p><p>They all slid into the booth, Kuroo on one side and the girls on the other. They waited for him to make the first move. It was jarring. He’d never seen them so on edge. During volleyball practices with Fukurodani, they were easygoing, playful, and reliable. Right now? Right now they were terrifying.</p><p>“Good evening. Can I get you something to drink?” The waitress stopped by the table with her customer service smile.</p><p>Yukie nodded and pointed at the menu. “Can we get two orders of oysters on the half shell, pei mussels and a smoked salmon rillette?”</p><p>“I want a salad, too.” Kaori’s bubbly disposition returned as soon as she tore her eyes away from Kuroo. “Which one do you recommend?”</p><p>The waitress turned back to him. “And you, sir?”</p><p>“Uh…I’m good, thanks.” He felt the sweat already start to bead up at his hairline and used the back of his hand to wipe it away. “Just plain water for me.”</p><p>As soon as she left, the crushing atmosphere returned. Kuroo cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak. “So…thanks for coming.”</p><p>“You knew her weakness,” Kaori thumbed at her best friend. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have bothered. We should get this out of the way so we can enjoy our food. What do you want, Kuroo?”</p><p>He tried his best to look sincere. He knew that the two of them had trouble ever taking him seriously. It didn’t help that he was known for goofing off with Bokuto and causing trouble.</p><p>“I wanted to say I was sorry for what happened with Akari. That wasn’t cool. I already ended things with her.”</p><p>“Look, we’re not happy if you broke someone’s heart just because of peer pressure.” Kaori leaned forward. “It’s none of our business who you decide to date. It’s about the <em>principle.</em>”</p><p>“I know. And that relationship wasn’t real to begin with. I asked her out because I was sure that…well…she was dating Jun.”</p><p>“Jun?” Yukie drawled. “Really?”</p><p>“What, you guys didn’t know?”</p><p>“Oh, we heard from Bokuto all about it.” Kaori flipped her napkin outwards to cover her lap, retying her hair so it didn’t get in the way of her upcoming meal. “We just didn’t believe it. She’s our friend and she never said anything to us. Plus, we asked her straight up if she was dating anyone and she said no.”</p><p>Kuroo’s jaw went slack. “What? When?”</p><p>“Like, the day Bokuto supposedly found out. Yukie and I called her up to clear the air. We tried to tell Bokuto, but he didn’t want to hear it. He would just run away every time we brought it up.” Their drinks were deposited on the table and Kaori grabbed hers, sipping through the straw while bouncing in her squeaking seat. “We’re best friends, so we keep things honest and communicate openly. I don’t know what you four were doing, but we got to the bottom of it and moved on.”</p><p>Urgh. Trust them to make him feel like a total, utter moron. He wanted to shrink away and become one with the outdated furniture. “Well, you guys could’ve told me.”</p><p>“No way. We heard you asked some random girl out and we wanted nothing to do with you. That’s girl code.” Kaori’s eyes narrowed into slits as she appraised him. “In any case, it’s not our responsibility to clean up after you. You’re a grown man, Kuroo!”</p><p>He wasn’t sure what else to do but laugh. “You’re right. But this isn’t about me, it’s to thank you guys for being there for her when I wasn’t. It’s why I brought you here. Sure, I did initially want to say sorry and patch things up. But you don’t have to if you don’t want to. The thing is, I’ve acted like a pretty shitty boyfriend this past year and there’s really no excuse for it. The two people who supported her through everything was you guys. So, on behalf of her, I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you supporting her.”</p><p>Yukie and Kaori exchanged glances as the appetizers arrived. The smell was mouthwatering. Yukie wasted no time in digging in. She shoveled food in her mouth without even bothering to look at the shocked expressions of the fine diners around her. Kaori joined in, though she wasn’t as overzealous.</p><p>“We really care about her and we always knew her being overseas was going to be hard. But we wouldn’t abandon our friend just because it was harder to keep in touch. I think that’s where you messed up.” Kaori tapped her lower lip with her fork. “We all know you love her. But relationships take time and work, especially when the other person isn’t around. We totally get that you were super busy and had a million things on your mind. But you put her on the backburner and it really hurt her feelings.”</p><p>Yukie nodded and swallowed a huge mouthful of fondue and bread. “It’s easy to forget checking up on people. There were a few times where we went days without texting or calling her. But we knew that if we took a break, we might not remember to pick up where we left off. So even though it was hard, we always made an effort to at least check in on her.”</p><p>He didn’t have much to say to that. The two chatted by themselves as the food kept coming. Yukie put her meal away like it was nobody’s business. While his wallet wouldn’t be happy with the bill at the end of the night, he figured it was the least he could do. Even when the two of them ordered that expensive dessert sampler he couldn’t find it in himself to be annoyed with them. Not after all the times they kept you company on days when he couldn’t be bothered.</p><p>The waitress gave him an apologetic look as she deposited the bill onto the table. Yukie and Kaori both reached for it, but he shook his head.</p><p>“I told you guys I was going to treat you.”</p><p>“Yeah, but…we ate a lot.”</p><p>“We?” Kaori exclaimed. “You stole from my plate like three times! I saw it!”</p><p>Kuroo chuckled and pulled out his card. “Don’t worry about it. Like I said…this was the only way I could think to really thank you guys for being there for her.”</p><p>“You’re welcome.” Yukie downed the very last of her drink, setting it down on the table with a clatter. “For the record, we don’t hate you, Kuroo. We actually really liked you two together. We were upset when we heard you guys broke up. And Kaori already started shopping for a bridesmaid dress.”</p><p>“Wh-what? No I didn’t!” Kaori blushed. “A-anyways…um…we both know that there’s no one better for her than you. So if and when she gives you a second chance, don’t mess it up!”</p><p>“You really think she would?” Kuroo wasn’t sure after all this time, especially not with the way you lashed out at Kenma. “Seems like she’s pretty done with me.”</p><p>“You’re her first love. Girls don’t give up as easy as you might think.” Kaori jumped up from the table and extended a hand to him so she could help him out of the booth. “Come on. We can talk about it more on the way home.”</p><p>He shot her a smile as he accepted the gesture. All three of them ducked out of the restaurant and he followed them through the city, ready to absorb whatever advice they had to give him. He never faltered once, even as they went off on several tangents. At least it was entertaining seeing them bounce off each other so well.</p><p>He escorted them to their bus stop and realized he nearly forgot the most important part of their meeting today. He called their names to get their attention, interrupting the colorful conversation they were having about their favorite singer. “I do have a favor to ask both of you.”</p><p>“Hm?” Kaori eyed him suspiciously. “What is it?”</p>
<hr/><p>Bokuto rose up from his chair and stretched his arms over his head. He was so glad that the weekend was rapidly approaching. His brain couldn’t handle any more math right now, especially not after the last quiz he took. Akaashi reprimanded him for a good ten minutes before suggesting he spend more time studying outside of class, a notion which horrified Bokuto. He was tired, hungry, and wanted to get his frustrations out on the court. It was too bad there was no practice today.</p><p>Before he could exit the classroom to head down to the cafeteria, Yukie and Kaori strolled inside. “Hey, Bokuto,” Yukie sang. “Hungry?”</p><p>“Yeah!” he shouted, earning a <em>shush</em> from the teacher getting ready to leave the classroom. “Did you guys bring me something to eat?”</p><p>“We bought you some buns downstairs. Kaori sweettalked one of the cafeteria workers so we got first pick before the doors opened up.” Yukie deposited the bag on the nearest desk. “Here you go.”</p><p>“Thanks, guys!” Bokuto ripped apart the plastic and paper wrapping, taking a ravenous bite from the steaming pork bun. “Ish good! Wan’ thome?”</p><p>“No thanks.” Kaori sighed as she tried not to lose her own appetite at the sight of him destroying their bribe in a matter of seconds. “Hey, Bokuto. Yukie and I were talking about how many admirers you’ve gotten this year.”</p><p>“R-really?!” Bokuto stammered.</p><p>“Yup. A lot of them are first years, but you’ve inspired some of them to join next year. They say your cross spikes are amazing,” Yukie added.</p><p>“Some of your fans wanted to see you play in person and we thought we could set up a little meet and greet afterwards. We don’t have practice today, but we managed to wrangle up some of the club members for a little practice game. Will you come?”</p><p>It was a dumb question, they knew that, but it set the stage. Bokuto screeched out in excitement and launched himself into the air. When his feet came back down onto the floor, both girls could hear surprised screams from the classroom below as the ceiling sprinkled dust on them.</p><p>“Let’s go! Let’s go, c’mon!” Bokuto shouted, running out of the classroom. “I knew I was practicing my signature for a reason!”</p><p>His voice got quieter the further he went down the hall. Yukie and Kaori peeked around the doorway only to see his lumbering figure tearing past multiple students. He stopped at the end of the hallway and dropped into a deep bow as one of the teachers lectured him.</p><p>“He forgot it was still lunch time,” Yukie sighed.</p><p>Kaori shot her a look. “Plus, his signature is really bad…that’s what it looks like <em>after</em> he practices?”</p><p>Bokuto went to the bathroom to make sure his hair was perfect, without a spike out of place. He straightened his t-shirt and turned to glance at himself from a side angle, giving the mirror a thumbs up. He was looking forward to this all day. He couldn’t believe there were that many people from school who secretly admired him. He would give them his all!</p><p>He stepped out of the locker room and bounced right toward Yukie and Kaori. “Are they here yet? When are they coming?”</p><p>“They’re on their way, don’t worry,” Kaori reassured him. “And Bokuto – no matter what happens, just know that we did this for your own good.”</p><p>“I know. You guys are the best!” He brought them both into a rib-crushing hug, earning cries of indignation until he released them. “I can’t wait! But hey, there’s not really enough members for us to play against each other. Should I go back into the school and track down some more?”</p><p>“It’s okay. Just relax. We’ve got this under control.”</p><p>Bokuto busied himself with a series of stretches. He needed to make sure he was in top form for today’s practice. He lived to show off. He was so engrossed in his exercises that he didn’t even hear the door open as several people filed inside.</p><p>“Good. They’re here.” Akaashi stole off from the net and went to greet the newcomers. “We can get this over with.”</p><p>Bokuto whipped around, his features alight with excitement. It soon faded when he scanned over the familiar figures that headed toward the sidelines. He felt his body go rigid as he stomped over to the two assistant managers who were waiting with bated breath for his oncoming tantrum.</p><p>“What’s <em>he</em> doing here?!” Bokuto hissed. “I don’t wanna see his dumb face!”</p><p>“Oi. Horned Owl Bastard,” Kuroo called from the other side of the court. “I came to talk to you.”</p><p>“No way! I’m not talking to him!” Bokuto made a giant ‘X’ with his arms across his chest. “I have more important things to do today! I’ve got a bunch of fans who are going to cheer me on!”</p><p>“Yeah…about that…” Kaori cleared her throat. “We made that up.”</p><p>“HUH?!”</p><p>“We knew you wouldn’t come if we told you Kuroo was stopping by,” Yukie explained. “Sorry, Bokuto. But you should give him a chance.”</p><p>“Y-you tricked me!”</p><p>Kuroo sighed and scratched at the back of his head. “Bokuto. I came here to settle this like men. I’m challenging you to a volleyball match. If I win, then that means you have to hear me out. If I lose, then you’ll never hear from me again. Got it?”</p><p>Bokuto finally turned so they locked eyes with each other. He straightened up to his full height and glowered in Kuroo’s direction. His amber irises flickered with the spirit of competition. He wasn’t going to make it easy.</p><p>“Fine!” he boomed. “Get ready to lose, jerk!”</p><p>Kuroo wasn’t alone. He brought his own club members to back him up. With things mended between him, Kenma and Yaku, the three of them would be nearly impossible to upstage. Bokuto and Akaashi’s dynamics were nowhere near theirs because they had only played with each other for under a year now. But Fukurodani was determined to secure a win on their own turf, which meant that they would give it their all.</p><p>It was Nekoma’s serve and Kuroo was the first to go. He smirked and hit the ball over the net with ease. Fukurodani hit it back, Yaku intervened before it hit the ground, and Kenma set Taketora up for a hard spike. Bokuto was amazed to see the natural rhythm within the team as they scored a point against them.</p><p>“One down, twenty-four to go,” Kuroo boasted. “Let’s keep it up, guys!”</p><p>Bokuto huffed and got back into position. There was no way he was going to let Nekoma win. He was part of a powerhouse school. They went to nationals last year and were gearing up for another appearance in a few months. He grunted and broke into a hard run to chase after the ball, legs pumping as he kept up the pace.</p><p>Even though Nekoma started out strong, Bokuto was quick to catch up. He took the lead and his feral grin spoke volumes about his level of confidence. The whistle blew as yet another point was given to Fukurodani, signaling the end of the first set – and their first victory. He howled with glee as his teammates gave him reluctant high-fives.</p><p>“Akaashi!” Bokuto screamed. The setter gave him a perfect toss and Bokuto slammed his palm against the ball, fully convinced it would tear through the line of blockers.</p><p>Except it didn’t, because Kuroo was there.</p><p>Facing him head on, and without a single ounce of hesitation, Kuroo managed to angle his hands to fully deflect the ball. It went right over Bokuto’s head and hurdled toward the ground. None of the players were fast enough to save it. Bokuto landed and a rush of anger spread through him when he realized what happened.</p><p>“You’re a solid spiker, Bokuto,” Kuroo told him through the net. His words shocked Bokuto immensely. “You’re for sure going to make captain next year and become one of Japan’s top aces. It’s just a matter of time.”</p><p>“I-I don’t wanna hear that from you!” Bokuto exclaimed, pushing off to take his place again. “Shut up!”</p><p>The game continued. Kuroo didn’t let up and neither did Bokuto. Both of them were second years, but it was clear that their impeccable technical skills made them first pick for captain next year. They directed their teams with precision, anticipating their opponent’s moves, pushing themselves to the breaking point if only to score once more.</p><p>“Bokuto’s gonna make it into professional volleyball,” Kuroo declared right before his serve. “Anyone who thinks differently doesn’t know him at all. He’s got more talent than anyone else in this room combined.”</p><p>Fukurodani sent it back over and scored before Kuroo could blink. Instead of causing him frustration, it brought a haughty grin to his face.</p><p>“See that?” he bellowed. “Bokuto’s the backbone of his team and everyone knows it.”</p><p>“He’s right, Bokuto!” Kaori cheered from the sidelines, causing him to stare at her in shock. “We can all count on you! Everyone knows your name! People in school love watching you play because you’re our top player!”</p><p>“We believe in you!” Yukie pumped a fist.</p><p>Bokuto heard their compliments and it only fired him up even more. His face was red with bashfulness, but he accepted their words at face value. He threw himself into his plays. His spikes became that much tougher. He darted across the court in no time at all. There was a near automatic reaction time as he followed through with Akaashi’s set-ups.</p><p>With each point he made, Nekoma was right behind him. The wide berth he started off with dwindled with every passing moment. It wasn’t because he was distracted by the sudden praise. He was giving everything he could. In fact, the change resided in Kuroo. With Bokuto fully on board, he had no excuse to hold back. He and Bokuto faced off against each other in a drawn-out match.</p><p>Three sets passed. Four. <em>Five.</em> Bokuto huffed in exhaustion as he watched Kuroo flick the sweat from his fingertips. Fukurodani was down one point. He needed to catch up or else the game would be forfeit. He flexed his fingers and readied himself for the grand finale – a spike that even Kuroo wouldn’t be able to stop.</p><p>Bokuto charged forward and sprang up, his calves flexing from the amount of force he used to get off the ground. Kuroo appeared right in front of him, suspended in the air. They exchanged eye contact and found themselves with unabashed grins. Bokuto took the opportunity to put his entire back into the swing and Kuroo’s arms stretched high towards the ceiling, blocking out one of the lights in the gym as he attempted to stop it.</p><p>Both of them landed as the ball hit the floor. It echoed against the gym walls, masked only by the huffs and heavy breaths of both players.</p><p>The whistle blew and Bokuto glanced over at the score. 14-16. Nekoma’s win.</p><p>He didn’t wait before flopping backwards. Kaori, Yukie and Akaashi rushed over to see if he was okay. They were expecting him to thrash around and complain, but he still had that smile on his face from earlier. He gazed up at their faces and lifted his hand for a thumbs-up.</p><p>“Good game, dude,” Kuroo panted, his hands resting on his kneecaps. “You almost got me there.”</p><p>“Did you…mean what you said?” Bokuto called out, his voice strained from the amount of shouting he’d done the entire afternoon. “About me being a good player?”</p><p>“I wouldn’t lie about that…I’m your biggest fan.” Kuroo laughed, but it turned into a series of coughs before he knew it. “Well, maybe not as big of a fan as she is, but you get the picture.”</p><p>Bokuto guzzled the water bottle that he was given. Kuroo did the same. They ended up sitting not too far from each other, separated only by the net. The other members of the team were sprawled against the ground and groaning from their overworked muscles.</p><p>“That night, when I talked to you like that…I went too far,” Kuroo muttered. “I felt like crap and I actually kind of wanted someone to kick the crap out of me. You were already fired up, so I said what I had to, even if I didn’t mean any of it. I’m sorry for putting you in a position like that, man. You’ve been nothing but good to the both of us.”</p><p>Bokuto stole a glance at him and a pout wormed its way onto his face. “I don’t ever wanna hear you talk about her like that again.”</p><p>“I won’t. I promise.” Kuroo sucked in a deep breath. “I’m glad she’s got someone like you watching her back, so that when I mess up, you can step in and knock me around so I get my head on straight.”</p><p>“My fingers still hurt from the punch. That’s why you won,” Bokuto sulked. “Minoru taught me some stuff, but it was different actually doing it to someone else. Fighting hurts a lot more than you think it does. They make it look so easy in the movies!”</p><p>They laughed together. It was nice to know that the air of hostility from days before had finally been addressed. Kuroo knew that Bokuto had a heart of gold and that was why he had to make amends with him. Bokuto had been your supporter since the very start of your friendship.</p><p>“I’m still mad at what you said, even if it was a lie…” Bokuto pinched his shirt and pulled it outwards, relieved at the small comfort of cool air that swept across his pectorals. “She’s not like that. She wouldn’t move from guy to guy. You’re the only one she ever looks at, anyway.”</p><p>“Yeah, I know. I found out she and Jun never even got together. Well…they went out once, but that was after she heard about me. Funny, huh?”</p><p>Bokuto threw his empty water bottle at him in response. “It’s not funny! That means you did all that stuff for no reason! I should’ve listened to Kaori and Yukippe…” He straightened up in his seat. “I’m going to support her no matter what. I have to say sorry for avoiding her messages and stuff. Do you…think she’ll forgive me?”</p><p>“Don’t worry, she will. And…Bokuto?” Kuroo grinned. “I’m glad we’re friends.”</p>
<hr/><p>Yaku sighed and took the empty glass from the desk. “Are you okay? That’s like the fifth one you’ve had in an hour.”</p><p>“Just nervous,” Kuroo admitted. “I mean, it isn’t every day you decide to spill your guts out to the girl who got away.”</p><p>Yaku’s house was cozy enough. His parents were kind and welcoming, but Kuroo couldn’t dwell too much on the formalities. He was holed up in this bedroom for one reason only: to speak with you over video chat. It’d been months since either of you spoke. He didn’t have a speech prepared. Part of him wondered if it would go up in flames. He told himself that this was just one more step to putting the worst behind him.</p><p>Another glass of lemonade sat on the desk and this time Kuroo didn’t chug it. He glanced at the clock. He opted to run to the bathroom for a last-ditch effort to empty his bladder. He didn’t need another reason to squirm under your heavy stare. He fixed his hair for the umpteenth time and brushed away the invisible pieces of lint that he could’ve sworn littered his shirt.</p><p>“I’ll be outside if you need me.” Yaku gripped the door handle before stepping back and letting it swung shut.</p><p>Kuroo waited anxiously for you to sign on. He was under false pretenses, of course he expected you to be hurt, confused and angry. He drummed his fingers on the edge of the desk and found his eyes darting across the screen.</p><p>The little green dot flickered to life and a ringtone sounded off. Kuroo willed himself to accept the call as the webcam flashed. His throat tightened when you came into view. All of his doubts, insecurities and worries were dashed away. He was numb. He opened his mouth slightly, too dumbstruck to even give you a proper greeting.</p><p>“Tetsu—I mean….Kuroo?” you called out, voice unsure. “What are you doing here? I thought I was supposed to chat with Yakkun.”</p><p>“Yeah, uh…well…he set this up. For us. I didn’t know if you would agree. Sorry.” His heart kept doing somersaults and flips in his chest. Since when did it become a damn acrobat? “I thought we should talk about things. If you’ll hear me out.”</p><p>“I really don’t think this is a good idea. I’m actually pretty angry with you and I don’t want to ruin our day by getting into it.”</p><p>He persisted. “I know. But I can’t give up again like I did last time. Last time we talked, you broke up with me. And I deserved it. I know that for a fact. I never tried to reach out to you because I figured you needed space. I know that was the wrong move, too.”</p><p>He couldn’t believe how much more gorgeous you could’ve gotten within just a few months. It was so unfair. The sporadic posts on social media didn’t do you justice. He felt hot and cold all at once. The blood rushed to his head, his stomach, and…well, other places, too. He tried to keep his cool.</p><p>“I wanted to say I was sorry for how everything went down. I know it doesn’t mean much, but…you deserved an apology. I want you to know that I wasn’t getting bored of you. It wasn’t like that. I know I told you I was swamped with stuff and…that’s not an excuse. I was busy, it was easier to put my responsibilities with you to the side and focus on other things. I felt like I was drowning. Then you told me it was okay to back off from messaging you right away and before I knew it, I had fallen way, way behind. I never meant to let it get that bad…but I did.”</p><p>Your image wavered as the Internet connection restabilized itself. Kuroo hoped that things would go smooth enough where he could get what he wanted to say off his chest.</p><p>“Ever since we started dating, we’ve been inseparable…and I didn’t have to do much to keep us going. You were the one who made sure to tag along to my practices and games. You kept in touch with me when I gave you radio silence during that time when I was beating myself up for the whole thing with Dobashi and Aiko. Even as kids you called me every night before dinner and you begged your parents to let you come to your grandma’s house so we could spend our breaks together. I never really initiated any of that, because I was sure you’d do it for me.”</p><p>Kuroo frowned and searched your expression for any inkling of what you were feeling. “I never saw our relationship as a burden or anything like that. Every day with you was like a dream, and I know how cheesy that sounds. I’ve been spending my whole life thinking about getting together with you that I didn’t think about what that meant after the fact. I know why you got upset. I blew you off countless times for someone else. I thought we were good enough where I didn’t need that open line between us…and that was stupid of me. I got crazy jealous because of the guy you became friends with and pushed you away because of it. You didn’t deserve any of that.</p><p>“I only asked Akari out because I thought some small part would hurt you, like the way you hurt me. You and Jun never dated, but when I heard the rumors, I just…blanked out. It felt like everything came down on me at once and I didn’t know what to do. I went into that relationship half-assed. I wasted time trying to pretend I could move on, but the fact is, I can’t. Not yet. Maybe not ever. I’m still crazy about you.”</p><p>He wasn’t sure where to go from here. He relaxed in his chair and readied himself for your response.</p><p>“Tetsurou,” you began, “I think it’s pretty fucked up that you decided to chase after another girl – one who you knew I was already insecure about – just to get back at me. It’s not like you. I’ve never seen you act that way before. I don’t want to be with a guy who does stuff to hurt me because it makes him feel better about himself. I know that’s not you, and that this whole thing wasn’t you, but it’s still…really painful to think about.</p><p>“I needed you. I was here, all alone, struggling to make friends and keep myself afloat. Maybe I relied on you too much. Maybe I got too clingy. But you and I were the closest. I felt like I was going crazy. All that time you spent with someone else, talking about how fun they were, all while I was sitting in front of my laptop like an idiot, waiting for you to remember that we were still in a damn relationship. I know that in hindsight you can see it was wrong, but it still hurts. A lot. You went for days and weeks without checking up on me – your own girlfriend – while I was halfway across the world and trying to find my way out here. I tried to support you, but I didn’t get anything in return.”</p><p>He could see you were on the brink of tears, but you didn’t give in. “I still love you, Tetsurou. I can’t forget about all these years in an instant. I got so upset when I heard you moved on. I thought for sure that everything between us was meaningless. Like it was just all one-sided. Like I made up this fantasy where we were both happy. It really messed me up. I’m glad that you figured out that you weren’t ready to date someone else. I really am. But it sucks knowing that it took a misunderstanding between me and Jun for you to realize that in the first place. I can’t forget that.”</p><p>You both shared longing looks with each other. He could understand you completely. He knew that this conversation wouldn’t erase the past. It was more complicated than that.</p><p>“So…is there any chance for us? I know you’re still figuring things out. And I know it’s stupid of me to ask, but I can’t help it. I want to be a better guy for you either way. I’m going to bust my ass to make sure of it.”</p><p>You bit down on your lower lip. “I don’t know,” you told him honestly. “I don’t know if we can get back together. And if we did, it wouldn’t be the same as before. It’s almost been a year since we’ve seen each other. I think both of us have changed…for the better. I don’t know if we can make it work, and I’m…really not ready to get back together right now. I’m sorry.”</p><p>Kuroo knew that would be your answer. It still stung like hell. He forced a smile which you saw through immediately.</p><p>“That…that’s fine,” he uttered half-heartedly. “I wouldn’t expect you to jump back into things so fast. I just want you to know that I still love you, too. And, uh…maybe when you come back…we can start from scratch. I don’t want to pressure you into anything. I’ve really missed you.”</p><p>“I miss you, too.” You wiped your eyes with the back of your hand. “I miss talking to you all the time. I think of something stupid and funny and you’re still the first one I want to text. When I get bored I feel like calling you. I hate not talking to you. I hate not being friends.”</p><p>“Yeah.” He searched your expression and felt a steady warmth spread through each of his limbs. It wasn’t what he wanted, but it was a start. “Can we do that? Can I text you, or…call you?”</p><p>“Of course you can, dummy.” You laughed, and the sound of it was so nostalgic and comforting that the reality of your relationship status didn’t seem so hopeless anymore. “If you ghost me, I’m sending Bokuto back to beat you up. I heard he gave you a good punch in the face. Wish I could’ve seen it.”</p><p>“Ouch,” he grinned. “I saw stars for a second, not gonna lie. He hit me so hard he bruised his knuckles. What a guy.”</p><p>“My hero.” You rested your cheeks in your palms and leaned forward. The sheen of uncertainty lifted and the smile on your face had him falling in love all over again. “So…aside from you getting your ass kicked by Bokuto, what else has been going on? I heard you pretty much emptied your life savings so you could treat Kaori and Yukie to dinner.”</p><p>“Oh, yeah. Worst decision I ever made. Did you know that I watched Yukie eat an entire crab by herself? I think she should look into those hot dog competitions. She could make a killing.”</p><p>“Gross. I’ve seen videos of that kind of thing. If she did that, I don’t think I’d be able to stomach the competition.”</p><p>“Ha. ‘Stomach’.”</p><p>You scowled. “That wasn’t an intentional pun, you jerk.”</p><p>“Still funny. In a sad way.”</p><p>“You know what else is sad? Yesterday I spent a full eight hours watching a reality TV show where people compete to be the best tattoo artist. People actually willingly volunteer to get a random tattoo done by a stranger. No offense, but I would like to spend more than a few hours talking over my dream design with some guy who may or may not brand me with a hideous piece of art for life.”</p><p>“Funny you should mention that. I’m going to get a tattoo when I’m old enough.”</p><p>“I think you should get, ‘Answer Your Damn Messages' on your wrist, for a friendly reminder.”</p><p>“Sheesh. You’re never gonna let me live that down, are ya?”</p><p>You giggled, the sound of it causing his grin to stretch from ear to ear. “Not in a million years, Tetsurou. Believe me. I. Will. Remember.”</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I wanted to once again thank you SO much for all of the comments you've been leaving me these past few chapters. I know it doesn't seem like much, but hearing from and engaging with you makes this process worthwhile. A fanfic is nothing without the fans, so I appreciate every single one of you.</p><p>Stay safe, take care of yourselves, and have a great week!</p>
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<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Fresh Start</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The year is finally up. It's time to go home.</p>
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    <p>“I can’t believe we have to be here so early,” Devon yawned, dragging the roller suitcase behind him. It clicked on the uneven ground of the parking garage. He rubbed one of his eyes and flinched when one of the old lights above him flickered furiously. “Isn’t your flight in like three hours? What gives?”</p><p>“International travel is <em>always</em> like this, hon. You’ll get used to it once you and Aniyah go around the world for her future fashion shows.” Paolo smiled at him in response. Although his voice was cheerful, his red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes spoke differently. He had been crying off and on for the past few days. “It gives us time to say our goodbyes. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing.”</p><p>Marques nodded and hit the button for the elevator. You all waited for it to climb down from the upper floors before gracing you with its presence. The change in your surroundings was welcome. The isolated garage was eerie enough, and your whispered echoes bouncing off the rows of vacant cars did nothing to soothe your nerves. You filed in after everyone else as you all squished together in one car.</p><p>“They should have a coffee shop we can go to once we drop off your bags.” Aniyah scrolled through the menu on her phone. “I need some caffeine. You should probably hold off so you can get some sleep.”</p><p>“Twelve hours is a pretty long flight. I know you’ve done it before, but I hope it goes okay.” Jun showed you a soft smile. “Just text us when you land. I’ll be thinking of you.”</p><p>“Thanks. I’ll make sure to give you guys the heads up when I can. My parents are picking me up, so I can’t imagine it’ll be easy when they’ll be drilling me the entire drive home. But I’ll do my best.”</p><p>You stepped out to the main level and you were greeted with the familiarity of bustling crowds, hurried footsteps, emotionally charged conversations and a cloud of stress that followed every person in here. Paolo and Marques knew their way around, as did the other three, so you found yourself trailing after them. Jun hung back with you and matched your pace. You were relieved that all of your friends decided to come with. You knew they really didn’t have to, especially given how inconvenient the time was.</p><p>The lines were already insanely long with people waiting to be checked in. You fumbled with your passport and kept it clenched tight in your hands. You had it in your pocket for the entirety of the ride here. You kept thinking you would somehow lose it, drop it, or end up leaving it at home. That would be just your luck.</p><p>“Wait, there’s a weight limit?” You looked at the nearby sign and felt your heart sink. “And we’re only allowed one bag for free? I have two full-sized ones…”</p><p>“You don’t have to worry about that. We’ll take care of it.” Marques already had his wallet out. “We were the ones who dragged you out to go souvenir shopping. Besides, it’s the least we can do to show you how much we’ve enjoyed you being here.”</p><p>You faltered at that. It was nice to hear so much praise, even if it was bittersweet because you wouldn’t be seeing them for…well, who knew how long? You would do your best to keep in touch with them of course, but it was still painful. When you first came out here, you were convinced that it would be the absolute worst year of your life. And sure, there were parts that were less than ideal and painful, but you really did enjoy the experience overall. You would die before admitting that to your teachers and parents, though.</p><p>Jun carried your backpack for you as you headed to grab something to drink. It was midnight and your farewell dinner a few hours ago still kept you full, but it was true you all needed a little bit of sugar and caffeine to keep you up.</p><p>Time ticked on. You surveyed the group while sipping at your drink. Paolo and Marques spoke with the three about their big day in a couple of months. They would be official high school graduates.</p><p>Aniyah got into Parsons like she wanted and would be moving into the dorms in the summer. Devon enrolled in Pratt Institute, which was less than an hour by train on a good day. You thought it was sweet that they would be living close by. They had plans to work part-time jobs and hopefully save up enough money for their own apartment somewhere in-between. Their families would help them out with that. As expensive as it was, their parents were loaded and supported their relationship, so it was a no-brainer.</p><p>Funnily enough, Jun didn’t have any concrete plans for right now. He was fine with living at home, working at the guitar shop and making music in his spare time. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to move anywhere. In the future he might look at his own place. You could see him holed up in a studio apartment living his best life.</p><p>At least Paolo and Marques would be getting their daughter back soon. You were sure they were ecstatic to have her home. Despite her initial difficulties and falling into old habits, she actually picked herself up, busted her ass and worked to get to the top of the class. You were proud of her. It seemed like she grew up a little bit, too.</p><p>You found yourself staring at the line to go through security and were surprised by the lump that grew in your throat. You struggled to keep the tears at bay as Jun handed you the backpack he’d been so carefully carting around for you. Devon stood behind Aniyah and had his arms wrapped around her midsection, resting his chin on his shoulder to peer at you through hooded eyes.</p><p>“I should probably get going so I can get to my gate and get settled.” You scanned over their faces. “I wanted to thank you all so much. I had an amazing time here and I’m so glad I met all of you.”</p><p>“Likewise,” Devon released Aniyah and gave her a push forward. “Let’s get this over with.”</p><p>Aniyah strode forward to embrace you. Paolo decided this was the perfect time for a group hug, so he encouraged everyone to join in. You let out a shaky laugh. It was mortifying at first. You could only imagine how many people were standing around judging you for it. Still, it didn’t bother you so much. You reveled in the warmth and affection.</p><p>“You aren’t getting rid of us that easy. We’ll be hounding you for the rest of your life,” Devon laughed. “Psst...you know Jun’s in love with you, right? It’s the real deal this time. He’s been single for months now and he’s doing so much better. Thanks. I don’t know what you did, but I’m glad to see he isn’t hurting himself anymore.”</p><p>“You’re secretly a big…softy.” You gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. “Take care of Aniyah, okay? You guys are good for each other. If I don’t get a wedding invitation in a few years, I’m hunting you down to get to the bottom of it.”</p><p>He smirked. “You don’t have to worry about that.”</p><p>“Gonna miss you so much,” Aniyah murmured. “I’ll send you packages now and then for new samples of my clothes. Got it? And you <em>better</em> take pictures of them and post them so I can see.”</p><p>“Okay, okay.” You giggled, loving the way her eyes lit up. “I can’t thank you enough for…well, everything. I’m so glad we ran into each other that night.”</p><p>“Me too, girl.”</p><p>“We had so much fun with you this year!” Paolo exclaimed, wrapping you up in another bear hug. “I’m going to miss you so much. You’re an amazing, beautiful young woman and I’m so looking forward to the next time we see each other. Maybe we can set up a vacation to Japan, hm? You’ll have to introduce me to all your friends there.”</p><p>Marques put a warm hand on your shoulder and brushed his thumb over the ball of it. “You have a lot to be proud of. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders. We couldn’t have asked for a better girl to stay with us. You’re meant to do great things, I just know it.”</p><p>You bit your lip and locked eyes with Jun. He had this faraway look in his ice-blue eyes like he usually did when he was daydreaming. He reached down to take your hand and rubbed your knuckles, his touch soft and gentle.</p><p>“I have a lot to say, but I think I pretty much got it all down on this.” He handed you a USB and you glanced down at the lazy scrawl on the label. “Just listen to it when you’ve got a chance.”</p><p>“I can’t wait to hear it.”</p><p>“Yeah.” He squeezed you affectionately. “I know it won’t be anytime soon, but I was thinking of going out to visit you in Japan sometime. The last trip my mom took there, I stayed home. I kind of want to learn more about my roots now that I’m older.”</p><p>“That would be awesome. I’m sure my parents would love to have you guys stay with them.”</p><p>“Cool.” He looked like he wanted to say something, so you waited a little longer. “Do you mind if I kiss your cheek? Or is that too weird?”</p><p>“It’s not weird.” You were embarrassed as hell, but he meant the gesture to be chaste, so you acquiesced.</p><p>He bent down and tilted his head, a curve of a smile on his lips. You felt a soft peck against your cheek. No more, no less. As he pulled back, his hair brushed up against your bare skin. You stifled a shudder and he locked eyes with you, searching your face as if trying to memorize it.</p><p>You stalled as much as you could, but it was time. You got in line and forced yourself through security, taking awkward, longing looks at the group across the room. You went through the motions at the security checkpoint. You pretended not to be bothered. That resolve broke down as soon as you grabbed your things from the conveyor belt. You waved high above your head at everyone as the stubborn tears finally trickled down your face. They shouted their goodbyes. You willed yourself to go around the corner and stormed to your gate, ignoring the sympathetic look from the nearby employee.</p><p>Traveling could be fun, you knew that. This, though? It felt like you were leaving a second family, of sorts. You saw with Kuroo how easy it was to lose touch with people and go on without them. You didn’t want that to happen. You promised yourself as you strode down the terminal that you wouldn’t let your laziness get in the way of keeping such great friendships alive.</p><p>Boarding was quick and painless. You were pleasantly surprised to see that you were in the first boarding group. You hadn’t really looked at your ticket, though you supposed it was a good enough seat. You shifted your bag over your shoulder and shuffled down the ramp toward the airplane doors.</p><p>There was a flight attendant peering down at everyone’s tickets and guiding them along the way. You waited for your turn and handed it over to her. She glanced down at it with a smile.</p><p>“First class is to your left.” She gestured to the opposite side of where you were used to going.</p><p>“Huh?” You took your ticket back and felt the color drain from your face. That…outright stated business first. No way. Mr. Dobashi bought you economy plus the last time.</p><p>“Do you need help finding your seat?”</p><p>“Uh…no, thank you.” Your face grew grow hot in embarrassment when you saw you were holding up the line.</p><p>You pushed forward to the Forbidden Zone. No fucking way. Paolo and Marques had to have been the ones to do this for you. You’d never traveled like this before and it left you a little speechless. All of the seats looked like something you would see out of a sci-fi movie. You were used to the smelly, barely big enough recliners that housed more bacteria than you could ever imagine in your lifetime. Here, though? You had your own little cubby, overhead bin, TV screen and even bedding that they sat down on your chair.</p><p>“What would you like to drink, sugar?” The flight attendant stopped by. She handed you a menu. “I can grab you something before we take off.”</p><p>You glanced at the long list and mumbled your order. You were already exhausted and the flight hadn’t even started. You would be getting breakfast and lunch. Judging by the menu, you had a feast awaiting you if you so wished it. It was insane. You had to remember to thoroughly thank Oaklynn’s parents for treating you like this.</p><p>The flight was going to be insanely long. You knew no amount of entertainment was going to keep you distracted. All you wanted to do was sleep. Marques had no idea that Paolo tucked away a couple of sleeping pills in your backpack. You debated on whether you should take it, but you were sick of crying and sniffling while the people around you tried to awkwardly pretend like they didn’t hear you. You popped them without thinking twice and waited for it to kick in. The strength to keep your eyelids open waned and the last thing you saw before dozing off were the blurry faces of your friends.</p><p>“On the behalf of our flight crew, we would like to welcome to Narita airport—”</p><p>You jolted awake after passing out after your last meal. The flight already landed. How in the hell did you sleep through that? You peered out the window and saw the familiar skyline of the airport come into view. You suddenly felt dizzy and sick – with excitement and nervousness.</p><p>The travel hadn’t exactly treated you kindly. You needed to get to a bathroom as soon as you stepped off the plane so you could freshen up. Once you were off the plane, you did just that. You wasted no time whatsoever. It was obvious you were jetlagged as hell. You knew no amount of makeup could hide that. Still, you did your best to at least comb through your hair, brush your teeth and wash your face. You knew your family would be waiting for you.</p><p>You had all of your bags, went through customs, and headed right down to the arrival area. The escalator moved at a snail’s pace. Once you got to the bottom, you spotted rows of people holding signs as they waited for loved ones, business partners and students. You had no idea where your family was. You scanned over to the top of everyone’s heads to see if you could spot any of them, eyes darting back and forth, biting on your lower lip.</p><p>Then you saw him.</p><p>You didn’t hesitate at all. You broke out into a sprint despite the odd looks from people around you. You lost your composure and you couldn't care less. You let go of your bags as they clattered to the ground. Your arms already encircled around his familiar warmth, fingers digging into his soft t-shirt as you buried yourself in his chest. You heard gasps and embarrassed chuckles when you squeezed him tight to you. You didn’t care.</p><p>“Welcome home,” Kuroo murmured, running his fingers through your hair. “You okay?”</p><p>“Mmhm.” You didn’t bother trying to hide the fact that you were getting his shirt damp with tears. “I missed you.”</p><p>“Yeah, of course you did.” He chuckled. “I’m a lovable, popular guy. Nekoma’s heartthrob, they call me.”</p><p>“Good to know you’re still smug as hell.” Your voice was muffled and you weren’t even sure he could understand you. “Can you hold me a little longer?”</p><p>“I would, but I think everyone else wants a chance, too.” He waited for you to step back so you could get a full view of who he was talking about.</p><p>You were ecstatic to see who showed up. Aside from your parents, the entire group was here. Akaashi, Kenma, Yaku, Kaori, Yukie, even Minoru. They immediately descended upon you with a series of laughter, affectionate words, cheers, and smiles. You were embarrassed with the attention at first. That feeling soon disappeared when you realized that this was your moment, and you would be damned if you let anxiety get the best of you.</p><p>“I’m so jealous! The glow-up is real!” Kaori exclaimed. “Not that you weren’t gorgeous before, but jeez! Look at you!”</p><p>“Oh my god, shut up. I just traveled halfway across the world and I’m barely standing on my feet.” You reached for your phone. “Let’s take a picture, newly appointed Fukurodani managers! I need a keepsake of your greatness.”</p><p>Yukie jumped into frame without having to ask twice. You stretched your arm far out and smiled at the camera, tickled by the both of them throwing up peace signs at the same time. When you were satisfied (for the most part), you deposited your phone back into your pocket and greeted Yaku and Kenma.</p><p>“I’m so glad you made it home safe. I’ve been keeping track of the wind speeds over the course of the day to make sure everything would be okay. You guys actually arrived a little early. I made sure we got here as soon as we could just in case you did.”</p><p>Yaku continued to rattle off how worried he was while giving you the full once-over. He hadn’t done that to you since you were little kids. You watched him circle you, searching for any suspicious bruises, cuts, markings or anything else that would set him off. From his scrutinizing eyes, he looked more like he was appraising a farm animal at a county fair.</p><p>Unable to take it anymore, you placed both hands on his shoulders to stop him. You made sure he gazed deep into your eyes. “I’m fine, Yakkun. Promise.”</p><p>“Well…good,” he huffed. “It’s been a long year without you.”</p><p>Kenma looked so different with his hair dyed. You could tell he wasn’t too keen on the upkeep because you could already see his dark roots peeking through That was just like him. You blocked his view of everyone else by standing in front of them. All he could see was you and relief flooded across his subdued features.</p><p>“I missed you so much, Kenma. I’m so excited to watch you play. Yakkun keeps telling me how much you’ve improved as their setter.”</p><p>“It’s not that big of a deal,” he mumbled.</p><p>“It is to me. I remember how nervous you were about joining the team and how rough it was in the beginning. I’m proud of you.”</p><p>His cheeks went pink in response and he looked away from you. Shy as ever. You couldn’t wait to talk with him more one-on-one. Then he wouldn’t feel so pressured and singled out. You needed more details on how his time with the team was really going, outside of earshot from his fellow players.</p><p>“Minoru! I’m so glad to see you. Sorry for taking up some of your time from the dojo.”</p><p>He chuckled, a little bashful at your sudden attention. “It’s alright. I have my sister covering for me while I stopped by. I can’t wait to show it to you. Do you remember the night we met, and you got attacked by that pervert?”</p><p>You ignored the spluttering cough from Kuroo behind you. “Uh…yup.”</p><p>“It inspired me to start some self-defense classes since I don’t patrol as often as I used to. It’s been very popular. If you’re interested, let me know.”</p><p>“Oh, cool! I’ll think about it. It’s crazy because in America I could literally carry around mace with me, but it made me so nervous about accidentally spraying myself in the face.”</p><p>He was still the same – a huge, dorky guy with sunshine running through his veins. Hearing his enthusiastic voice eased your creeping exhaustion. You did not miss the way his arms bulged out from his t-shirt. Minoru had always been tall and muscular, but it was a little different now. He was a year older than you and it showed. His boyish smile had been replaced with a near-seductive smile that was hard not to stare at.</p><p>Once you finished chatting, you did a mental headcount. Someone was missing…but who? Ah. Of course. You must have been so wrapped up in your other conversations that you couldn’t find him.</p><p>“Bokuto, please stop trying to hide behind me.” Akaashi sighed and stepped to the side. “She’s looking for you.”</p><p>You laughed as Bokuto came into view. Your initial reaction was to playfully scold him, but you had to do a double take. “Bokuto…did you seriously grow even taller?!” you exclaimed. You couldn’t contain yourself. “Oh my god! You’re huge!”</p><p>“I-I,” Bokuto stammered, fists shaking as they rested at his sides. In the blink of an eye, his forearm shot up to shield his eyes. He took a large step back from you and nearly tripped over the person behind him. “I-I can’t look at you! SORRY!!!”</p><p>Akaashi sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck while Bokuto took off running down the terminal. You were baffled. You had no idea what the hell just happened, but it caused bubbling laughter in your chest anyway. Poor Akaashi. He was probably used to this kind of behavior and it was wearing on him.</p><p>“He’s been looking forward to this all month. He talked about it every single day. Now that he’s finally here, he runs away.” Akaashi looked so done. “I think the excitement was too much for him and he overloaded.”</p><p>“Well, hopefully he calms down long enough for me to talk to him properly.” You shifted on your feet and realized something. “Hey, you grew, too!”</p><p>“Yes, I did.” He shot you a shy smile. “Do I look different?”</p><p>“Yeah. It’s only been a year, but you look a lot more mature. Not that you didn’t before.”</p><p>It was bittersweet. The Akaashi you left behind was your cute underclassman, very polite and a little too formal. It was obvious that his time playing for the team had done him good in terms of his physical form; he had filled out, which was to be expected from his arduous practices and games. Not only that, but you could see a spark of something else in those dark eyes of his – like he had a competitive spirit that awakened in his time with the team. Bokuto’s boisterousness obviously did him well. Although polar opposites, just like Kuroo and Kenma, those two brought out the best in each other.</p><p>“Don’t forget about me,” Kuroo leaned down for emphasis. “All of us got taller. Well, except for Yakkun.”</p><p>“WHAT?!” Yaku immediately went red. “How do you know that?!”</p><p>“I didn’t. You just confirmed it.” His grin spread wider across his face. “You’d think all that meat and veggies would help you out. I guess it stunted your growth, instead. Maybe if you’d taken my advice about eating fish, you’d at least be tall enough to look me in the eye.”</p><p>You watched them break out into a squabble. It was a relief to see that they’d gotten so close over the last year, even if it did leave you feeling a little lonely.</p><p>“You know his height gives him an advantage in the position he plays,” you scolded Kuroo. “I like how tall he is. Plus, you never know. He could have another growth spurt coming.”</p><p>After idling around for a few more minutes, you decided to move out of the way. It was still early in the morning and although it was a weekend, you were sure everyone wanted to get back home to get a couple more hours of sleep.</p><p>“How did you guys all get here, anyways? My parents’ car is only big enough for five.”</p><p>“That was me!” Minoru beamed and flashed you a ring of keys that spun around his index finger. “I brought everyone else.”</p><p>“Oh, I forgot you got your license already!”</p><p>You had to wonder where Bokuto got off to. The other three from Fukurodani said that he would catch up with you sooner or later. He knew where they were parked and they would track him down if need be. You were worried, though. When everyone was distracted by your dad running into a coworker, you broke off from the main group in search of Bokuto.</p><p>You hadn’t expected him to be sitting forlornly in front of a food stall. His hair was deflated and everything (you still had no idea how he did that). You approached him and softly called out his name so he wouldn’t freak out again.</p><p>“Ah…” Bokuto made a move to stand up, but you held your hand in front of him so he would stop. He froze in the middle of his scramble and you nearly laughed at how his limbs splayed awkwardly in front of him.</p><p>“Bokuto Koutarou,” you announced. He gasped and his back went ramrod straight. “Before you leave again, I need to show you something.”</p><p>You made your way over and fished in your purse. Tucked away inside the tiniest pocket was something you’d brought from overseas. You unfolded the piece of paper gingerly and turned it toward him so he could get a good look.</p><p>“I bought this a few weeks ago when I saw it on the shelf. I couldn’t believe it. My favorite ace in the whole world made it to the top five in Japan.” You wiggled it around for emphasis, knowing full well he was drinking in the sight of his own action shot on the other side. “I carried this around with me so I could brag about you to everyone! And also because I wanted to make sure it went on my wall when I came home. Do you know why? Because Bokuto, you’re my best friend! And no matter how far away we are or how much time has passed, that’s never gonna change!”</p><p>You thought the impassioned speech would be the best route, considering Bokuto was so receptive to outright praise. You were right. His eyes glittered with delight. He stumbled over himself to get closer to the magazine page you tore out. He thumbed over the small blurb with his name and that broad, familiar grin spread across his face.</p><p>“I told you I would become ace!” he shouted, earning dirty looks from passersby. “I promised you!”</p><p>“Yup. You totally did.” You were relieved at how his earlier nervousness seemed to fade. “You know…the year flew by and it feels like we haven’t been apart at all. I’m still the same person I was before.”</p><p>He huffed. “I wasn’t worried about that. I just…you…well…” He steeled himself and squeezed his eyes shut. “YOU’RE SO PRETTY IT’S HARD TO LOOK AT YOU!”</p><p>You were in shock. His expression morphed into something crossed between embarrassment and excitement. You always knew Bokuto had thought highly of you, he said as much that one time when you called him handsome. It was hard to wrap your head around back then. His words now had a lot more weight to them…especially since he just shouted it in the middle of a crowded airport.</p><p>“I-I’m…sorry?” You sputtered. You had no idea why you were apologizing. This entire situation was absurd.</p><p>You both took one look at each other and laughed. His face was still bright red, but at least he was able to make eye contact with you now. “J-just don’t look at me directly right now! I’m still recovering!”</p><p>“Jeez, Kou.” The nickname left your lips before you knew what happened. You pretended it wasn’t a big deal, but in truth, you were mortified. Especially given how he looked as stunned as you felt. “How am I supposed to do that when I’m admiring how tall you got?”</p><p>“You called me Kou!” he cried. “I like it! A lot!”</p><p>“Oh, good. I was worried there for a second.”</p><p>By the time you regrouped, everyone was more than ready to leave. Minoru promised that you would all get together in a few days, hopefully once you had somewhat gotten your circadian rhythm whipped back into shape. He took both of your heavy suitcases with ease and loaded them into the back of your parents’ car. You said your goodbyes to everyone and exchanged a few short hugs with Yukie and Kaori.</p><p>“Oh, almost forgot!” Kaori reached into Minoru’s car and pulled out a huge bouquet of sunflowers. She stuffed it into your hands before you could protest. She stared over your shoulder for a minute, then beckoned you close so she could whisper in your ear. “Kuroo actually bought these for you. He chickened out, though, so he asked if I would say it was from me and Yukie, instead. Just so you know.”</p><p>With that said, she shot you a wink and crawled into the back of the car.</p><p>You held the crinkling plastic like your life depended on it. Although a little weathered from the stifled air in the car, the sunflowers themselves were still perky and vibrant. You stole a glance at him and found he was actively teasing Bokuto for what happened earlier.</p><p>Your heart clenched. It’d been seven or eight months since you broke up, and four since you decided to remain friends. Not a day went by without you thinking of him. You could quietly admire him for now. Seeing him in person made it so much harder to tell yourself that you were fine with the way things were.</p><p>You still loved him immensely. You weren’t sure how he felt about you, and you were scared to find out. He’d asked you all that time ago whether you could get back together. At the time you said you weren’t sure. Having him hold you in that intimate, familiar embrace earlier still sent shudders down your spine. None of the thoughts running through your mind could be explained by friendship alone. You wondered if he could tell.</p><p>He wasn’t your boyfriend, but he was more than a friend. It was weird.</p><p>“Nice flowers,” Kuroo commented offhandedly once you settled in your seat. He was such a sneaky bastard.</p><p>“Thanks. Yukie and Kaori got them for me.” You decided to keep up with the lie. It would be easy to tease him. You didn’t want to do that. If he wasn’t ready to admit it, then you wouldn’t push him.</p><p>Your parents took you to your grandmother’s house. They wanted you to stay with them for a few days. You decided against it. All you wanted was to crawl into your own bed, bury your face in the pillows, and sleep for about a week. They knew you were jetlagged and it would be a while before your schedule returned to normal.</p><p>“We’ll stay with you for about a few days or so just to make sure you’re doing okay, sweetheart.”</p><p>“Besides, I’m sure you’ve missed your mom’s cooking.”</p><p>“Believe me, I definitely did,” you mumbled as you walked through the doorway.</p><p>The familiar scent of the house flooded through you and it made you nostalgic. You gazed around the room. There had been some updates to the furniture, likely because the old stuff was falling apart. Your grandma’s knickknacks still lined the mantelpiece. You almost forgot to shuck your shoes off when walking in; living in America taught you that a lot of people wore them inside the house…go figure.</p><p>“Are you sure you don’t want something to eat before you go to bed?”</p><p>“No…I’m okay.” You rubbed at your shoulder. “I’m going to shower first. Then I’ll sleep.”</p><p>“We’re gonna stick around and hang out a little longer, if that’s cool.” Kuroo leaned against the kitchen counter.</p><p>Your mom laughed and patted his chest. “If you wanted me to cook for you, all you had to do was ask, Tetsurou.”</p><p>“You got me!”</p><p>You shook your head at the interaction between them. Kenma and your dad already settled in the living room to scroll through their phones together. It was their favorite pastime. You wished you had the energy to join them. You couldn’t. You dug through the nearest drawer and picked up a pair of old pajamas, trudging to the bathroom to wash off the remains of the day.</p><p>Before you fell asleep, you sent off a message in the group chat to your friends in America – letting them know you were safely home. You turned on do not disturb so you weren’t spammed by their responses. You buried yourself in the comforter and crashed out instantly.</p><p>A heavy weight sank down on the edge of the bed. You were too tired to open your eyes. “You leavin’, Tetsurou?” you slurred.</p><p>A chuckle. “Yeah. Gotta get home and finish up some homework. I’ll stop by later.”</p><p>“Mm.” You relaxed under the familiar warmth of his hand resting on top of your head. “Missed you…”</p><p>He tucked a lock of hair behind your ear. “Missed you more.”</p><p>You heard his footsteps pad against the carpet as he exited the room, the door clicking shut. You were more than happy to relish the cozy feeling he left behind.</p><p>For the next few days, most of your schedule consisted of eating and sleeping at odd hours of the day and binge-watching a bunch of shows that you'd missed out on. You were wide awake in the dead of night and exhausted by the early afternoon. You knew that nothing would be accomplished by letting your body do its thing; you had to keep yourself busy during the day so you didn't resort to taking long naps on the couch. After all, you would be going back to school in another week.</p><p>You decided that you should push yourself out of the house. You didn't want to, but you needed the stimulation. You had no desire to head to the shopping district or walk around the city by yourself. Then the idea struck you.</p><p>That afternoon, you made a huge batch of fresh rice in your cooker. Once it was sticky and perfect for molding, you spent about an hour making onigiri of all flavors. It kept your mind occupied and your hands busy. You went into the mechanical process of pressing the sticky grains into the neatest triangles you could. Each one had a unique filling tucked in the middle. The seaweed was crisp going on and it nestled in its rightful place in no time. </p><p>After washing your hands, you gazed at the mountain of onigiri. You already knew what to do with them. You tucked them all away inside a container and set it down in your bag. You would get ready and then head out as soon as possible.</p><p>The ride to Nekoma was nostalgic. Even by yourself, huddled on the bus between two strangers, you were comfortable and relaxed. You missed having the ability to commute daily with your friends. You were looking forward to being able to spend time with them before classes. It was always a nice way to start the day.</p><p>Spring was in full bloom as the flowers and plants thrived under the gentle sunlight. A slightly chilly breeze swept past you as you pushed forward to the gym. Class was out of session for the today and swarms of students walked around campus. Most of them paid you no mind despite the fact that you were clearly not wearing their uniform. You were glad that although you still had moments where you felt like there were eyes on you, it wasn't as severe as before. </p><p>Just as you thought. You pushed the door open and practice was already in session. You spotted Kuroo on the court. He was one of the tallest guys on the team now and the role of captain suited him. You watched him speak to one of the other players, likely giving him advice, before slapping him on the shoulder and jogging back into position.</p><p>"Can I help you? Oh-!" A familiar voice sounded off to the side. "It's so good to see you!"</p><p>"Mr. Naoi!" You greeted him. "Sorry for barging in like this. I had some spare time and thought I'd make the team a snack for when practice is over."</p><p>"Thank you. You didn't have to, but I'm sure they'll appreciate it." He beckoned you over to where Coach Nekomata was. "Coach! Look who's here!"</p><p>"Hmm?" The older man turned. You were a little embarrassed to see him again. He was very kind to you when you were dating Kuroo and let you stick around to watch practices and games when you could. "Ah ha ha! I heard from Kuroo that you were back. Did you enjoy your trip?"</p><p>"Yes, sir, I did." You set your bag down and rummaged through it. "Actually, I brought you a souvenir. You too, Mr. Naoi. As thanks for humoring me all the time."</p><p>"Aren't you sweet?" Nekomata chuckled and the two of them gathered around you. "And onigiri, too? You'll spoil us."</p><p>They munched on the snacks and opened their gifts. You were happy to see that they didn't find it weird of you to stop by. You stood with them and watched the guys play. It was something else to see Kuroo's new team. The guys before had been okay, but they were kind of stuck-up. You noticed a lot of first years who were surprisingly doing very well despite being new to the team. They were energetic, starry-eyed, and it was obvious they held deep respect for the game.</p><p>"You put me in quite the position when you dumped Kuroo," Coach Nekomata teased. His catlike grin reminded you of a certain someone. "He couldn't play for weeks. I thought for sure he might quit. I'm sure he deserved it. I love my boys, but I know they aren't exactly good at dealing with girls. It's a blessing we haven't had any requests for a female manager. In any case, he's definitely grown since you've been gone. Maybe you'll think about giving him another chance, hm?"</p><p>You didn't have a response for him. One look at your face and he broke into more laughter. Ugh.</p><p>You were thoroughly impressed with what you were seeing. Yaku had always been a stellar libero, but he made his mark on the team for a reason. He was agile with a sharp mind to match. You felt a swell of pride every time he saved a ball that otherwise would've landed an easy point. </p><p>Kenma had grown into his role, too. It was clear that his abilities in strategy and tactics were unparalleled. You watched the rest of the members trust him implicitly. They saw him for what he was - the brain of the team.</p><p>Kuroo, of course, had always been impressive. His presence was demanding. He had no qualms in playing against people's weaknesses, but not in an underhanded way. He was dependable and his other teammates adored him for it. They looked to him for guidance. He was mature, level-headed and passionate - all perfect traits for a captain.</p><p>Practice ended and the guys did some cool down exercises. You were exhausted just watching them. Kenma was the first one to get off the court for some water. You could tell he wasn't too happy with how big of a workout he was subjected to. He spotted you immediately.</p><p>"Hey." He took the bottle of water you had ready for him. "I didn't know you'd be here."</p><p>"I decided to stop by. I needed to get out of the house. I couldn't resist seeing you in action. Kenma, you're amazing!"</p><p>He looked away and took a long sip from his bottle. "I have a lot to work on."</p><p>"Let me compliment you, I mean it."</p><p>Yaku ran over next. He scanned over you. "Are you sure you're okay to be out by yourself like this? Are you dizzy? Have you eaten anything today?"</p><p>"Relax," you laughed, pushing his hand away from your forehead. "I ate some onigiri earlier. Actually, I brought some for you guys. Help yourselves."</p><p>They let their stomachs lead them to the pile waiting for the taking. You surveyed Kuroo a little longer. He pulled someone to the side and looked like he was lecturing them about something. You were appalled at how <em>huge</em> the guy was. Despite his tall stature, he had the energy and attention span of a puppy. He must have been a first year given that information.</p><p>You couldn't deny how your heartrate picked up when he turned in your direction. You didn't need him to call you over. You gravitated toward each other and met in the middle of the court. He was shocked at first, but that expression soon melted into something warm and affectionate. You handed him the towel and water bottle you'd been carrying. He accepted it gratefully.</p><p>"Enjoy the show?" he teased, running the towel along the length of his neck. "I make a pretty good captain, don't I?"</p><p>Usually you would have denied it to tease him, but you decided against it. "You do," you admitted, his eyes widening in response. "Honestly, I always knew you would be. It was nice seeing you guys in action. I've missed it. I went to a few football games in America, but it wasn't the same."</p><p>He chuckled and wrapped the towel around the back of his neck so both ends hung down his chest. "I wasn't expecting you to be so honest. I'm kinda at a loss for words."</p><p>"Good, then I succeeded." You gazed around the room. "I've got a good feeling about this lineup. It's something special."</p><p>"Yeah, me too." He was proud of everyone there. You could see it in his eyes. "Anyway, thanks for coming. Seeing you in the gym again feels right."</p><p>"Thanks."</p><p>A comfortable silence settled between you. Well, until you watched a couple of guys barrel out of the locker room towards the snacks you brought.</p><p>"Whooooaaa! Who made these?!" The one with a short, blond mohawk shouted. He grabbed a couple of fistfuls of onigiri and shoved them into his gaping mouth. </p><p>The guy next to him with a mop of orange hair followed suit. "ISH SHOOO GEWD!"</p><p>You had no idea who they were, but they were awfully cute, in a childish kind of way. Yaku didn't seem to think so, because he stormed over and began lecturing them both on slowing down.</p><p>"That's Yamamoto and Inuoka," Kuroo chuckled. "They're harmless. Second and first year."</p><p>"I feel so old looking at them. Don't tell me we were ever that goofy."</p><p>Standing side by side, you watched younger players engage in boisterous and frivolous conversations. It gave you a lot to think about. You’d been through a lot together in the course of your high school years. It felt like ages ago that you shared so many of your firsts together. The drama alone from dealing with your jealousies and insecurities wore you down and forced you to grow up. Looking back, you were sure both of you were aware that you didn’t handle things as well as you should. Hindsight was twenty-twenty.</p><p>"C'mon, let me introduce you." He tilted his head and beckoned you to follow him. </p><p>You did so. Normally this experience would have been nervewracking, but honestly, you were used to his old teammates giving you attitude. You knew Yaku would stand up for you if need be.</p><p>"Hey, guys. The food isn't going anywhere." Kuroo approached them and the sound of his voice caused both to stop mid-bite. "Besides, you might as well give compliments to the chef."</p><p>You stepped over to the group and were a little overwhelmed with numerous sets of eyes on you. "Hi." You stated your name and gave a slight wave. "Nice to meet you. I hope you guys like the onigiri."</p><p>"Wow!" Inuoka exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly. "Are you here to be our new manager?"</p><p>"Um, no. I go to Hanagasuku, actually. I'm friends with Yakkun, Tetsurou and Kenma. Hopefully you guys don't mind if I stop by now and then."</p><p>The one named Yamamoto, who'd been stuffing his face near the back of the group, locked eyes with you. He immediately started choking. His hands went to his neck and he turned to the side, spewing rice on the nearest member. Yaku groaned in disgust and stomped over to help him clean it up.</p><p>"Sorry about him!" A smaller player piped up. "We don't get a lot of cute girls hanging around the gym, so..."</p><p>"Dude, you just said it to her face! Are you crazy?" One of his teammates socked him in the arm. </p><p>"Oops. I-I'm sorry!"</p><p>"Don't get any ideas," Yaku warned them. "She's like a sister to me. Besides, she's Kuroo's ex-girlfriend." He realized what he said and immediately regretted it.</p><p>Oh, god. It was so awkward. Dead silence at first, and then...</p><p>"WHAAAT?! You dated our captain?!"</p><p>"So you're the one who went overseas, right?!"</p><p>"He told us all about you!"</p><p>If there was anything remotely positive about this situation, it was that Kuroo was as thrown for a loop as you were. He had this stunned look on his face. Very rare indeed. You shifted in your spot and seriously entertained the idea of booking it out of the gym.</p><p>"You're so lucky, man! No fair! Why does our captain get all the girls?"</p><p>"Alright...enough," Kuroo sputtered, overwhelmed at the way they descended upon you with compliments and intrusive questions about your relationship. "Don't scare her away."</p><p>"It's okay," you laughed. You were honestly mortified at the enthusiastic reception. This was the polar opposite of what you were expecting and what occurred a few years earlier. You wondered why. "I'm really glad to meet you guys. Watching you play together was a lot of fun. You guys are definitely going to nationals this year."</p><p>"Whoaaa! No wonder Kuroo was so hung up on you! You're like an ANGEL!" Inuoka bounced on his heels and you tried so hard not to laugh. "You know, you're nice, pretty <em>and</em> you can cook! I bet you'll make a great wife to someone someday!"</p><p>"Um, thank you..."</p><p>"Inuoka," Yaku called sternly, "go start taking the equipment down."</p><p>"Aw, what?"</p><p>"You heard me!”</p><p>You didn’t want to overstay your welcome and they had a lot to do before they took off. Like Yaku mentioned, the equipment had to be put away. The guys had to change clothes and talk about any upcoming practices or games per Coach Nekomata’s schedule. You were glad that you could brighten their day, if only a little bit.</p><p>“Well, I should get going. I’ve got an appointment in about an hour and I don’t wanna be late for it.”</p><p>“Let me walk you home.” Kuroo worded it so that it wasn’t quite a question, nor was it a demand. It didn’t feel like he was offering to be polite. “If you give me a second to get changed.”</p><p>“Yeah, sure.” You weren’t going to rebuff his advances. “What about you, Kenma?”</p><p>“I’m going to the video game store to pick up something I pre-ordered.”</p><p>“Oh, cool.” Maybe Kuroo was supposed to go with him? “If you want company, then I can just head home alone—”</p><p>“It’s fine.” He cut you off and you were surprised at his insistence. “Kuroo always ends up playing the test consoles in the store and holding me up from getting home, anyway.”</p><p>After stopping by to chat with Coach Nekomata for a few seconds, Kuroo disappeared into the locker room. You waited on the sidelines for him, noting how well everyone worked together to clean up. The guys glanced over at you a few times and waved, which you returned. One in particular – Yamamoto? – kept outright staring at you before getting a ball thrown directly at his head so he would pay attention.</p><p>“Hey, Kenma.” Yaku approached the setter with his eyes still trained on you. “Don’t you think she’s a little different? She’s got this new confidence to her. You’ve noticed it, right?”</p><p>Kenma surveyed you with his eyes narrowed. You’d only been back for less than a week, but he had seen some major changes in your behavior. You weren’t on edge all of the time, for one. You didn’t shuffle around looking like you were just waiting to be hurt by someone’s words or actions. Back then, you weren’t happy with yourself and it was obvious you believed you should be punished for it. You were so insecure and filled with self-hatred that you lashed out without warning and pushed people away.</p><p>“Confidence” didn’t seem like the right word. It wasn’t that you were convinced you were the best thing to happen on earth. You didn’t exude a cloud of self-assuredness like Bokuto, nor did you have a commanding presence when you entered the room. It was subtler. You didn’t drown yourself in baggy clothes in the hopes that people would overlook you. You didn’t shrink away when someone looked in your direction. You were fully present in the moment, meaning your head wasn’t abuzz with intrusive thoughts. You lacked the glassy-eyed stare where you began to second-guess yourself and dream up the worst-case scenarios. He was quite familiar with it himself.</p><p>He didn’t have the ability to express all those thoughts to Yaku, so he summarized them. “Yes. She’s more independent…and content.”</p><p>“I’m letting Kuroo leave with you, so I fully expect him to be in top form tomorrow,” Coach Nekomata teased you as Kuroo crossed the room in your direction. “And if you decide to give him the boot, try waiting until <em>after</em> nationals.”</p><p>You sputtered, “Coach! Please. It’s not like that between us.”</p><p>He only laughed in response.</p><p>Kuroo held the door open for you and you exited the gym. Despite arriving in the early afternoon, your extended time in the gym gave the sun time to retreat beyond the horizon. It was a little chillier without the extra sunlight, but it was manageable. Several students were released from their clubs too, darting outside the main building until their bobbing figures disappeared around the corner.</p><p>“You excited for classes to start back up?”</p><p>“Oh, yeah. Sooo excited.” You laughed. “Actually, I am looking forward to it. I got in touch with a few of the newspaper club members and they said they can’t wait to talk to me about all the big strides they made in the last year. Mr. Dobashi really came through as their adviser. Although I’m not looking forward to having to wear a uniform every day. It was nice showing up to class in whatever when I was in America.”</p><p>“Hell, I would <em>love</em> to sit back in my chair in sweatpants and a hoodie.”</p><p>“Exactly! I hear some kids show up in their pajamas. I don’t know about that, considering everyone is kinda judging you for your tastes.”</p><p>“And what if someone sleeps naked?”</p><p>“Of course <em>you</em> would think of that.” You pushed him slightly and realized how close you were standing as you headed down the sidewalk. Not that you minded. “Maybe you could pull out those old <em>Power Rangers</em> shorts. You know the ones.”</p><p>He scoffed. “And what, we’re going to gloss over the fact that they ended up staying at your house? I’m still waiting for them back.”</p><p>“Tetsurou, by all means, I think I earned those after having to wash my comforter twice because a certain someone insisted on watching <em>Ju-On</em> and got so scared he peed in my bed instead of going to the bathroom right down the hall.”</p><p>“Hey, we agreed never to bring that up again!”</p><p>“We did, but you started it.”</p><p>You boarded the bus together as you had so many times in the past. You found a couple of seats and sank into them. You arched your back to wiggle around and get more comfortable. Someone next to Kuroo attempted to sit down and he ended up leaning more into you. The weight of his shoulder against yours was a nice surprise.</p><p>“It’s gonna be a long ride. I got used to taking cars everywhere.” You brought your phone out and unraveled the earbuds, offering him one. He took it without much hesitation and tucked it into his ear. You huddled closer together so you could gaze down at your screen.</p><p>You realized you forgot to close the music app from earlier. The sound swam up through the wires and trickled out in its haunting, bittersweet melody. You were about to close it down when Kuroo stopped you.</p><p>“Hey, this is really good. Is this Jun?”</p><p>“Yeah, actually.” You thought about telling him that the song was written for you, but you decided against it. That was an old wound you did not want to poke and prod at. “He gave it to me before I left.”</p><p>“I can tell that much. It’s about you.” He smirked at your bewildered expression. “What, you think I can’t tell? It’s different from the other stuff he put out before. And yes, I know what it sounded like because Bokuto bought one of his EPs for some reason.”</p><p>“I don’t even want to know.” You sighed. “But yeah, you’re right. It’s a really nice song, even if it’s a little embarrassing. I know you probably don’t think so, but I do feel like you two would get along.”</p><p>“Well, he took care of you when you were away, so he’s good in my book.” Kuroo didn’t need to mention the fact that he still felt a sting of jealousy hearing you talk about him. “Is he coming to visit anytime soon?”</p><p>“Maybe. He’s kind of a free spirit. He’s not even going to college. Speaking of…” You turned toward him so you could get a better look at his face. “Have you decided which school you’re applying to?”</p><p>He hesitated. “Not really. I’m still not sure about what I want to do.”</p><p>“Hmm…okay.” You went back to staring at the screen. You noticed from the corner of your eye that your hands were resting comfortably against each other in the middle of the seat. “Mr. Hinsen, that author from America? He suggested I study there so I could work part-time as an editor for one of his new books.”</p><p>Kuroo went quiet for a moment, absorbing the information carefully. “That’s awesome. Are you gonna do it?”</p><p>“I don’t think so. America was nice, but I’d really rather finish school here. I’m not planning on moving there anytime soon.” You pretended not to notice the relief that flashed in his eyes. “UTokyo seems like a no-brainer, but I was looking through their areas of study and nothing jumped out at me. I think my first pick is going to be Keio. It seems like a long shot because their acceptance rate is kind of a pain in the ass, but I want to try.”</p><p>“Keio, huh…” He grinned. “That’s…probably the nerdiest school you could’ve ever picked.”</p><p>“Oh, shut up.”</p><p>“Isn’t their motto like, ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’?” He poked your arm. “I can’t wait to see you in their school colors. Blue and red. You’re gonna look just like the American flag. You sure you haven’t been brainwashed since living there?”</p><p>“You’re just jealous I’m going to be a millionaire way before you. I’m going to write this long novel about this dorky guy who fools everyone into thinking he’s super cool. Well, you can’t fool me, Tetsurou. I know you well enough to say to your face that you’re just as big of a nerd as I am. Everyone’s too distracted by your bedhead and smug smile to think differently.”</p><p>“Aw. You wanna write a book about me? I’m honored.”</p><p>He followed you off the bus and you crossed the street toward your neighborhood. The streetlights kicked on one after the other to create an illuminated path. You slowed down your pace and realized so had he. This scene was so familiar – you’d done it only about a thousand times, of course, but it felt like such a long time ago.</p><p>You headed up the steps and lingered at the door for a few seconds. “So,” you began. “I would invite you in, but I actually do have a doctor’s appointment. A virtual one. Sorry.”</p><p>“What, no meal in exchange for protecting you?” He chuckled. “It’s cool. Everything okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s nothing major. Just checking in.” You struggled to maintain your eye contact with him. You didn’t trust yourself right now. He was too warm, too comforting and too safe. “I’ll text you later.”</p><p>“Hey,” Kuroo called out softly before you could retreat inside. “You want to hang out this weekend?”</p><p>“You don’t have to ask. You can come over like you always do. Just don’t be surprised if I’m still asleep.”</p><p>“Got it.” He stepped backwards, the shadows of the night flickering across his handsome face. “Alright then. Goodnight.”</p><p>Once you were sure he was gone, you went to the bathroom to splash some cold water on your face. You had to get a grip. You couldn’t keep acting like this. You and Kuroo were only friends and that was a decision you both agreed on. You’d barely been back a week and already you were giving him the eyes and thinking about kissing him. Wait, no! Don’t go down that road!</p><p>You shuffled into your room and turned your laptop on. The gentle bell sounded off and you accepted the video call with no hesitation.</p><p>“Hi,” you greeted the woman on the other end. “I was hoping I’d make it on time. I actually went out today by myself to visit some friends.”</p><p>“Oh? I can’t wait to hear about it. Before we get into the session, I wanted to ask if you needed any refills on your medication. If so, I want to make sure it’s sent in before the weekend since I’ll be out of town.”</p><p>You shook your head. “Not yet. I’ve got a couple of weeks left.”</p><p>“Any side effects?”</p><p>“Not that I know of. I am sleepy but I think that’s the jetlag, not from the meds. And I mean, it’s only been a little while, but I don’t know…I feel different. In a good way. It’s hard to explain. I’ll think about it. But yeah, I watched volleyball practice at Nekoma.”</p><p>She leaned forward with an amicable smile. “Tell me all about it.”</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for the late update!</p><p>I wanted to put a disclaimer that no, Reader isn't magically "fixed" by therapy/meds. It's a process to unlearn a lot of self-destructive behaviors and it takes time for your brain's chemicals to balance out. The important thing is that there's effort made in addressing her mental health and that she's doing it because she's finally coming around to the fact that she's worth it. Hopefully that makes sense.</p><p>On that note, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. Have a great week!</p>
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<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Belonging</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Even now, no one can fill that empty space in Kuroo's life but you.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Since this is a fanfic and Reader is involved, I have changed some minor details with the canon content, especially when it comes to her involvement with Nekoma's team and such. Hopefully you guys don't mind too much.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Here you go.”</p><p>“Huh? What’s this?” Kuroo took the box you offered him and peered down at the familiar lacquered cover. “You made me a bento?”</p><p>“You <em>and</em> Kenma,” you clarified while handing the setter the other one. “It gave me an excuse to get out of bed this morning and risk not falling asleep. I hope they’re okay. I really didn’t have to cook too much when I was overseas.”</p><p>Both of them peered inside immediately and marveled at the amount of effort you put into their individualized meals. Kenma in particular was thankful that you hadn’t packed the box too full. You learned over the years that food would be wasted that way since his appetite was so small. Kuroo had extra portions as always.</p><p>“Thanks. This is awesome.” Kuroo grinned at you and you tried to suffocate the butterflies that spread through your chest at the sight. “What’d you make for yourself?”</p><p>“A little bit of both. I couldn’t decide.”</p><p>You were apprehensive about today. It was your first day back to classes since you traveled to America. You had one goal in mind: graduate. That was it. You had no expectations of trying to spread yourself thin and you were through with drama as a whole. You had to get through this year and then you would be free, away from the stuck-up, judgmental girls who gave you such a tepid welcome when you first started.</p><p>“We’ve got practice today, so we’ll kinda have to hustle once class is over.” Kuroo stood up as the bus came to a full stop and you swallowed hard at his towering frame above you. It still baffled you to know that he still had room to grow while you were away. “I’ve got to be there early to talk with Coach Nekomata about an offer we got. Karasuno wants to face off in a couple of weeks and he actually agreed.”</p><p>He waited so you could walk in front of him and exit the bus first. You took your time to weave your way around the morning crowds of people and step down onto the sidewalk. As you waited for the other two to follow, you mused about what he just said. You heard from Kuroo recently about the old-school rivalry that Nekoma and Karasuno had. It wasn’t really something you understood, but he was fired up enough about it.</p><p>All three of you walked side-by-side. The formation was so ingrained in you that you settled between them without thinking twice about it. You stole a glance at Kuroo. “That’s exciting. Are they playing here, or are you guys heading to Miyagi?”</p><p>“Headin' there. We’ve got another practice scheduled for that weekend and we squeezed them into the schedule if they agreed to travel. I hear they’ve been begging a bunch of other schools for games, but no one’s bitten except for Seijoh.”</p><p>The name sounded familiar. “Is that the school with the white and teal uniforms?”</p><p>“Yeah, why?” He lifted a brow at you, confused at why that piece of information stuck so well with you.</p><p>“When I was looking for games last year, I stumbled across one of theirs. I liked the colors. Plus, their ace’s pretty cute.”</p><p>Kenma laughed and Kuroo stopped dead in his tracks. You kept walking. You hadn’t thought much of what you said until you noticed he took a moment to process your words. He scrambled back into his usual pace and even sped up so he could get back to the spot next to you.</p><p>“I thought for sure you’d go for their captain. He’s the subject of all those interviews and he’s even got his own fanclub.”</p><p>“Hard pass. He seems like he’s got a head the size of the damn Skytree. I spend enough time building my own self-esteem up, I don’t need to waste my time trying to babysit a grown man’s ego.”</p><p>That broke the ice, because Kuroo busted out laughing. You shook your head as he doubled over and started wheezing like a damn hyena. “Bokuto’s gonna be so jealous,” he managed to cough out, unbothered by the outright stares of the people you went past. “You told him he was your favorite ace.”</p><p>“You’d better not say anything to him. Besides, I didn’t say the guy was my favorite ace, I just said he was cute.”</p><p>You reached the gates of Nekoma fairly quickly. Kenma waved at you before heading for the building. You were about to turn heel and go down the side street toward Hanagasuku when Kuroo called your name. He had this dopey grin on his face.</p><p>“Did you want me to walk you to school?”</p><p>You thought about it briefly, but you dismissed the idea. Kuroo had to get to class and going with you put him at risk of being late. You’d had this discussion before when you initially started dating. You wondered if he was offering to be polite, or if because he was worried about you heading out on your own after so long being driven to and from school.</p><p>“Thanks, but I’m good.” You shot him a smile and resumed on your way. “See you later!”</p><p>Hanagasuku was as extra as you remembered it to be. You didn’t expect a warm welcome and you didn’t receive one. No one really knew who you were. That was fine. You already knew which homeroom you’d been assigned to and the layout of the building was still fresh in your mind, so you had no need of asking anyone for help finding it.</p><p>You pushed through the crowds of girls hanging out in the courtyard and made a beeline for the classroom. Your initial thoughts were that they were all staring and judging you, but you quickly buried those feelings with logic and reasoning. You had to remind yourself that they were caught up in themselves and more than likely could care less about you.</p><p>Girls were taking their sweet ass time meandering through the hallways before the bell rang. The maintenance worker was in the midst of wiping down one of the display cases. It looked like a few more trophies were added since your last visit. You scanned over them and he spotted you through the reflection in the glass.</p><p>“Had to do a little rearranging,” he explained, brushing the back of his hand against his forehead. “The volleyball team needed some space for their awards. Watanabe Aiko sure is something, isn’t she? Good to hear she’s made captain this year for all the hard work she’s put into the team.”</p><p>A bittersweet smile bloomed across your face. Ah. You remembered how hard you lobbied for its existence. You put everything into drawing attention and interest in the club all for Aiko. Looking back on it, you didn’t regret what you did. You managed to meet friends that you knew would last for a lifetime. It gave you a sense of purpose for a long time.</p><p>“Well, it looks great.” You gave him a nod of approval. “Have a great day, sir.”</p><p>Mr. Dobashi was no longer your homeroom teacher, which was honestly a relief. You felt too much pressure being in his class. He was either too hard or too soft on you because you reminded him so much of your grandmother. That and you were thankful that enough time had passed that no one remembered the baseless, gross rumors about the two of you. It still made you sick to think about.</p><p>You walked into the classroom and looked at the front of the room for the seating arrangements. You were about a week or so late into the current semester, but the teacher knew, and you would be given some time to catch up. You spotted your name and zeroed in on your desk to take your seat. It was in the quiet corner at the back of the classroom, right next to the window that overlooked the courtyard. Perfect.</p><p>“Hey!” One of the girls nearby jumped down from sitting on her desk and approached you. “I thought it was you! Long time no see!”</p><p>Her face looked familiar, but for the life of you, you couldn’t remember her name. “Oh…uh…I’m sorry, what’s your name again?”</p><p>She chuckled, unbothered by your blunt response, and introduced herself. You told yourself to tuck that information away for later so you could try to memorize it. Why were faces and names so hard? “You and I were in the newspaper club in first year. Kind of a long time ago now though, huh? I’ll let the others know you’re with me and we can have lunch together.”</p><p>You were thankful that it wasn’t all talk, and that the people you befriended back then were still interested in you. You wondered if you would click at all. You never got too close with them and preferred to spend time with Kaori, Yukie and Aiko, but it didn’t hurt to try. It was a hell of a lot better than eating lunch alone like you fully expected to.</p><p>As nervous as you were by your initial return, things settled into normalcy. You spent the day taking notes on lectures, gazing outside, and ate lunch with a few other girls when the time came. They asked you about America, and you were happy to share your experiences and photos with them. You agreed to join the club again for your final year, if only to keep practicing your writing skills. Plus, you knew that Mr. Dobashi would appreciate it if you didn’t just exit out of his life completely.</p><p>“Hey, we were thinking of going to the mall tomorrow after school. They’re opening a new make-up store! Do you want to come with?”</p><p>You shrugged. “Sure.” As far as you knew, you didn’t have anything else to do.</p><p>You forgot Kuroo said he would pick you up. He drew attention again from the girls outside the school. Seeing them flock around him brought back that ugly, dark feeling that used to settle in the base of your throat and choke you. You reminded yourself that Kuroo was your friend and was here for you, not them.</p><p>“Oh!” One of the girls gasped. “I remember him! He used to pick you up every day from school. Are you guys still together?”</p><p>“Uh, no, but we’re still friends.” You really hoped this wouldn’t be a thing. You were already tired of explaining to people that you broke up. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”</p><p>Kuroo was usually chill and easygoing when he stopped by the gates. Today, though, he was not having it. Before you could even open your mouth to say anything, he snatched you by the hand and tugged you in the direction of Nekoma. You stumbled forward and thankfully managed to catch yourself before you fell.</p><p>“Whoa! Tetsurou, what the hell?”</p><p>“Sorry, I don’t wanna be late!” he called over his shoulder and squeezed your hand. “Let’s go!”</p><p>You were not expecting to take a run with him and was honestly pretty annoyed at first. You were in your school uniform with the short skirt that threatened to fly upwards and give the world a panty shot it didn’t ask for. Your socks didn’t reach your upper thighs like the rest of the girls and as such, the threat of chub rub was real. You wished you had worn some shorts underneath, so you at least didn’t have to worry about flashing anyone or chafing. Kuroo didn’t think about any of that as he raced forward with you in tow.</p><p>Still…as uncomfortable as you were with all of those things, you couldn’t stop the smile from breaking across your face. Kuroo was the type of person who dragged you into things over the course of your lives to make sure your friendship stayed strong over the years. He did the same thing to Kenma. This was proof that he still had no intention of leaving you behind.</p><p>You nearly collapsed when you reached the schoolyard. Kuroo was unbothered by the run, as well he should be considering his long practices and games during the past year. You huffed and told him to go on without you. You would meet him there. He offered to wait, but you repeated yourself and urged him to get back to the gym so he could get his duties as captain underway.</p><p>You didn’t want to be in anyone’s way. Luckily, there was a spot behind one of the trees where you could regulate your breathing in peace. Your back rested against the rough bark of the tree trunk and inhaled deeply.</p><p>“Hi, Kuroo’s ex-girlfriend!”</p><p>You almost jumped out of your skin and were shocked to see that freakishly tall first-year standing right in front of you. How the hell did you not hear him? With how big he was, you were sure he would lumber around and generate enough noise to give you the heads up. He had on this carefree grin on his face as he placed his hands on his hips and peered down at you.</p><p>“What are you doing out here?”</p><p>“Just trying to catch my breath.” You were embarrassed at how your voice must have wavered. “You’re…Haiba, right?”</p><p>“You can call me Lev!” He studied your face for a moment before he leaned down with a smug smile. “Are you here to see Kuroo? Are you stalking him?”</p><p>“What?” You couldn’t believe what you just heard. “No, I’m not!”</p><p>“But you’re here at Nekoma and ran behind the tree when he passed by. I saw it.” His voice became drenched in excitement. “You still like him and you snuck here to watch him play!” He pointed at your face. “You’re sweating.”</p><p>“Because I just ran here from my school!” you retorted. “Don’t you have to get to practice?”</p><p>“I can take you there so you don’t get lost.”</p><p>You jerked forward as he grabbed your wrist to drag you across the courtyard. You tried to shake him off, but he was strong as hell. Dammit. You knew you should’ve contacted Minoru about those self-defense classes last weekend. Lev didn’t seem interested in listening to you, nor was he bothered by you thrashing and the gawking students.</p><p>Lev burst through the doors with a broad smile. “I found Kuroo’s ex-girlfriend watching him from behind a tree outside!”</p><p>You ripped yourself away from him as he was momentarily distracted by his team’s full attention. “Hey,” you snapped, “don’t touch me like that again. You can’t go around grabbing girls. And I already told you that I wasn’t stalking him. We came here together, and I needed to take a break before heading inside!”</p><p>“You…tin-headed…titan!” Yaku hissed, pushing Lev away from you. “You left a mark on her! Just how hard were you holding her?!”</p><p>“Oops…sorry.” To his credit, his words seemed genuine. “I didn’t mean to!”</p><p>“And for your information, I have a name. I’m not just Kuroo’s ex.” You ignored the look of shock on his face. “I’m also your upperclassman. So show some respect.”</p><p>Lev straightened up and gulped. His face was bright red. You realized that your outburst had just been seen by the entirety of the volleyball club and you wished you could shrivel up and die on the spot. You were trying to keep your emotions in check, not lash out at some kid who didn’t know any better. You opened your mouth to say something, anything to apologize for the disruption, when several of them started laughing.</p><p>“She sure told you, Lev!”</p><p>“Maybe this time you’ll learn your lesson!”</p><p>Kenma in particular had the sourest look on his face you’d ever seen. You tried so hard not to crack up at the sight of it. He’d never treated anyone with that much disdain as far as you knew. Did he wear that expression when he got into disagreements with that Yamamoto guy last year? You kind of wished you’d been around to see it.</p><p>“Alright, let’s get back to warm-ups,” Kuroo called out. “You too, Lev.”</p><p>He stole one more glance at you before he joined the others. You needed to apologize to him later. You really hadn’t meant to make a huge scene.</p><p>“I think Kenma just made a mental voodoo doll of that guy and stabbed it about a thousand times.” You flicked your eyes to the blond who looked more than disgusted as Lev approached the rest of the group. “Is he gonna be okay?”</p><p>“It’s fine. Lev’s new, he’s kind of obnoxious, and to be honest, he’s not really that good at volleyball yet. Kenma’s gotta learn to work with him sometime.” Kuroo didn’t miss his chance. “So…I heard you're crazy about me and acted like a lovesick girl by watching me from behind a tree earlier…”</p><p>You huffed. “Don’t even start. It’s your fault, you were the one who dragged me down the street!”</p><p>“Aw, c’mon. You don’t have to lie. Just say I made your heart race.”</p><p>You were going to ignore how suggestive his tone got. “Do all hot guys need constant validation, or just you?” You made your way to the sidelines and dropped your bag so you could unload your notebook to start on some homework.</p><p>Kuroo lingered there for a second and that cheesy grin refused to leave his face. “Hey, you still think I’m hot?”</p><p>“You’re only proving my point.”</p><p>You were saved by Coach Nekomata, who reeled Kuroo back onto the court for a couple of laps. You refused to pay him any more attention for the rest of the afternoon.</p><p>Between thumbing through your textbooks and scribbling in your notebook, you watched their plays with keen interest. You hadn’t been lying when you told him there was something special about the team. Everyone out there was serious about the sport and was focused on bettering themselves as a whole unit. Like Kuroo mentioned, Lev was by far the weakest player. The only good thing he had going for him right now was his height. He could easily block players, even those with the highest jumping reach.</p><p>Practice ended and you gathered your things. A couple of the first years ran over to say hi and excitedly as if you’d seen the various successful plays they made. You liked their enthusiasm and chatted with them for a little bit. Once they were satisfied and ran off, you searched the court. You could see Lev taking the equipment down and you decided to approach him.</p><p>“Lev?” You called his name out and he jumped. He turned toward you with his cheeks starting to go pink. “I’m sorry for earlier. I got really embarrassed, and when that happens, I kind of blow up.”</p><p>“Don’t worry about me!” he blurted. “Is your wrist okay?”</p><p>You rubbed the spot he’d grabbed. The tenderness faded. “Yeah, thanks. You’ve got a strong grip! I guess you don’t know your own strength. In any case, you seem like a nice guy. Hopefully we can put this behind us and be friends.”</p><p>He beamed at you in relief. “Hey, you were watching me play! What did you think?”</p><p>Oh. Yikes. You opened your mouth to say something and quickly closed it so you could produce a more articulate answer. “I think…you have a lot of potential. I can see how hard you concentrate on the game and it’s clear you want to be better. You’ll reach it fast with your level of determination and I’m looking forward to seeing it.”</p><p>He went into full babble mode about how he was the ace of the team. You let him talk, mostly because you were baffled at his choice of words. He was a first year with barely passable basic skills and he thought he was the most valuable player? You had no words. Some guys really had no concept of humility. You were trapped in the midst of this one-sided conversation until Yaku saved you, yet again, by telling Lev to stop stalling and get to work.</p><p>“He’s funny,” was all you could say. “I mean, like…in a weird way.”</p><p>“Tell me about it.” Yaku sighed. He looked so weary these days. He was pretty much the only one who could successfully wrangle the younger members of the team.</p><p>You went back to pick up your bag while Kuroo and Kenma waited for you near the exit. As soon as you reached them, Kuroo opened the door so you could go through.</p><p>“So we’re going to be playing Karasuno for sure,” Kuroo started, falling in line with you. “You should come with. We could use a cute cheerleader on the sidelines.”</p><p>You scoffed and bit back the self-deprecating comment that burned on the tip of your tongue. You went for something a little more pragmatic. “I’m positive they don’t make Nekoma cheerleading uniforms in my size.”</p><p>“If I find one, that means you gotta wear it, then.”</p><p>“Anyway, if it’s okay with the rest of the team and the coaches, I don’t mind going along. I can make some snacks for you guys if you want.”</p><p>“Well, once I tell them that, then they’ll be begging for you to be there.” He laughed. “Coach Nekomata is going to send me the schedule tonight. I’ll forward it to you.”</p><p>You weren’t surprised that both Nekoma coaches didn’t have a problem with you tagging along. You didn’t want to be a burden on their resources, and you promised both of them you would take care of some snacks for the team. That way they didn’t have to worry about stopping to grab food along the way. You had Kuroo give you everyone’s phone numbers so you could text them about what they liked.</p><p>You were in your room with your headphones in, jamming out to the music while completing your homework, when two strong hands plopped down on your shoulders. You jumped and let out an unholy screech. Your water bottle fell off the desk and spilled all over the floor as you struggled to whirl around and face off against your attacker.</p><p>“What the hell, dude?! You almost gave me a heart attack!”</p><p>“I called your name and you didn’t answer,” he guffawed. “My grandma asked me to drop off some vegetables for you. She’s been at the community garden and no one else wanted them.”</p><p>You glanced at the plastic bag he tossed at you. “Oh. I’ll have to come by and tell her thank you. By the way, I forgot to tell you earlier, but you don’t have to pick me up tomorrow. Some of the girls want to go shopping at the mall and I agreed to go with.”</p><p>Kuroo snorted and took a seat on your bed. You tried not to think about how natural he looked there, especially sprawled out and holding you tight when you used to spend the night with each other. He was either completely oblivious or knew exactly what he was doing. You were afraid to know which one was more accurate.</p><p>“Alright. Just be sure to tell me if you need me to come pick you up. I mean, they don’t live nearby here and I know you don’t like going home by yourself when it’s dark.”</p><p>“Thanks. I will.” You realized he made no move to leave. You thought for sure he would only drop off the gift and take off. “Um…did you need anything else?”</p><p>“Not really. Why, you want me to go?”</p><p>“I didn’t say that.” You hadn’t meant to hurt his feelings. “I just figured that you would want to run home and get some sleep. You guys were insane today on the court.”</p><p>He didn’t acknowledge your words aside from a knowing smirk on his face. You were starting to get flustered. “So,” he began, “I was thinking about what you said not too long ago. About uni. Do you have an idea of what you’re looking to do?”</p><p>“Something in the faculty of letters. Maybe literature. You know I’ve always loved to read and write. It’s not exactly a lucrative type of job, but I at least have someone like Mr. Hinsen who could help me with networking. What about you? You’ve been crazy about volleyball since you were a kid, but you’ve never really talked about what you’d want to do as a career.”</p><p>Kuroo stretched his legs out and leaned back on his hands, which were positioned right on the edge of the mattress. “I like playing, and I like being a captain, but I don’t think I’ve got what it takes to play professionally. You’ve seen the difference between me and Bokuto.”</p><p>“I don’t think that’s true, you’re amazing.” You weren’t sure why he had such little confidence in his own abilities. “They made you a leader for a reason. You know how the game works, you know how to inspire, and you know how to strategize. And even though Bokuto is a hell of a player, you two are evenly matched a lot of the time.”</p><p>He seemed a little bashful at your praise but played it cool. “Bokuto wants to go pro. He wants to be the best. Yeah, I want to go to nationals and win, but I don’t think doing it for a living is in me. I don’t want to give it up altogether, either, because you’re right, it’s been nothing but a good experience in my life. Without volleyball, I wouldn’t have met you—and…uh, you know, everyone else.”</p><p>You thought about it and pulled out your phone, typing in a few key phrases. “You don’t have to play the sport to be involved in it. You could be a coach. Or a team manager. You’re good at inspiring people to keep up with the sport and continue to improve…so maybe someone who scouts new players and tries to recruit them to attend their school. I don’t know, Tetsurou, there’s a lot out there. I think with your knack for helping people find their potential, you could really do anything and be good at it.”</p><p>You hadn’t meant to ramble. You were just two friends hanging out and discussing your future. No big deal. It was totally not you on the verge of spilling your guts out to the guy you’d been in love with for years. Nope. Not at all.</p><p> “You always say these kinds of things and don’t even think about what it’s gonna do…” He rubbed the back of his neck, trailing off. “I get what you’re saying. I’ll look into it.”</p><p>“I’m glad. Whatever you decide to do, you know I’ll support you.”</p><p>You stared at each other. It was difficult to look away from those dark eyes of his. He zeroed in on you and you could see your own flustered expression reflected in his pupils, the ring of color around them so vibrant and welcoming. He had this quirk of a smile on his face and you tried so hard not to stare at the familiar curve of his lips. Neither of you said anything for a long while and it felt like the walls were closing in. Were you really gravitating toward each other, or was that just a trick your mind was playing on you?</p><p>“I…should really finish my homework,” you mumbled, backing up. “Tell your grandma I said thanks. See you tomorrow.”</p><p>Kuroo left not too long after that. You groaned and threw yourself onto the bed in frustration, grabbing one of the pillows to cling to. He was driving you crazy. Seriously! Why did he have that look in his eyes like he wanted to kiss you? If he had gone for it, then what would you have done? If you thought there was insurmountable sexual tension when you were dating, then what the fuck was this?!</p><p>This was hell. You were in hell. You were sure of it. Hell came in the form of a smug, dorky guy rocking permanent bedhead, who somehow had no qualms about using every single one of his charms against you at once.</p><p>The weekend was here. After rousing from a dead sleep, you stood inside your kitchen and thoroughly washed the huge amount of rice you’d dumped into the pot. You’d somehow been roped into being Nekoma’s private chef, but you didn’t mind it so much. Food made people happy and you liked sharing meals with the people you cared about. That was what mattered. When you were finished up with the meal prep, you would put everything away in the cooler that the coaches lent to you. Kuroo would be the one to haul it over to the bus which you were grateful for.</p><p>“Morning, guys.” You greeted Kuroo and Kenma as you stepped outside of your house a few hours later. They looked like they were in the middle of a conversation, because both of them jumped when they realized you were standing right in front of them. That and they hadn’t let themselves in like they usually did. “I managed to drag the cooler to the front door.”</p><p>“Gotcha.” Kuroo stepped inside and grabbed it with both hands, lifting it above the ground with ease. “What’s in here? Half your kitchen?”</p><p>“That and a lot of the veggies you dropped off.” You ran your eyes over him and tried not to stare at his bulging biceps. “Are you sure you’re okay? It’s heavy.”</p><p>“What, this? No problem for me. You don’t have to hide how impressed you are.” He grinned and started off in the direction of your meetup place with the rest of the team.</p><p>You did a mental headcount when you met up with everyone else and it looked like someone was missing. You nudged Yaku to get his attention.</p><p>“Where’s Lev?”</p><p>“He’s nowhere near good enough to come with us for these games,” was all he said. “He can barely serve without hitting one of us in the head. He’s been slacking off in practice and Coach Nekomata told him he wouldn’t be allowed to come unless he improved over the last week, which he didn’t.”</p><p>You felt a little bad for him, but you understood. Lev had a long way to go if he wanted a chance to go out on the court. There was no reason to include him in a series of games if it meant the rest of the team’s potential would be smothered by his ineptitude. You hoped he took the words to heart.</p><p>You had a long drive ahead of you. At least the weather was nice so you could open up the windows and let the fresh air in. You were the first one to climb aboard the bus, much to the chagrin of the first years who were eager to rush on and hop into whatever seat they wanted. Kuroo was the one who kept them in place before they even had a chance. He really liked to threaten them with more training…but hey, it worked.</p><p>You sat at the very back and got settled in. The rest of the guys would likely want to be near the front so they could watch the road ahead. You dropped your bag onto the ground and reached forward to grab your phone, only realizing that Kuroo decided to sit next to you.</p><p>“Hey,” you muttered, giving his back a light push. “I’m a girl. I should get special treatment. Find your own seat.”</p><p>“No way. Captain’s choice.” He shot you a grin in response and wiggled further into the seat just to piss you off. “Why, you don’t wanna sit with me?”</p><p>“You are literally the worst.” You couldn’t recall how many times you’d told him that, but you both knew by now there was no vitriol in your words whatsoever. “Kenma, switch seats with me. Please?”</p><p>Kenma, who was across the aisle, didn’t hear you. He was too engrossed in his phone.</p><p>“You should sit with Taketora!” Inuoka grinned, kneeling on the seat so he could peer over the top at you. “I want to see him get a nosebleed!”</p><p>Yamamoto heard what he said and turned, his face blotchy and red. “Why, you—!”</p><p>You rolled your eyes as the boys started roughhousing. You had noticed Yamamoto was shy around girls. He got tongue-tied and hadn’t said a single word to you after you’d been introduced to the team. He looked tough and pretty intimidating, which was a shame because you were sure he would be well-liked if he managed to open up a little. A lot of the guys on the team acted like girls were an entirely different species. You blamed hormones and misconceptions of “perfect” girls they saw plastered everywhere in the media.</p><p>Coach Naoi took roll call as everyone was seated. You took this as your opportunity to stand up and pass around the first meal of the day. It was still early in the morning, but they would need all the energy they could get to make it through their scheduled games. You wrote everyone’s names on the outside of the wrappers so you didn’t get their dishes mixed up.</p><p>“Your cooking is so good! Don’t you want to open up a restaurant or something? I’d eat there every day!”</p><p>“Thank you.” You were embarrassed with their praise. “I don’t mind cooking, but it’s something I kind of picked up. My grandma liked to cook for me, but as she got older, I decided I would just take care of it myself. She was a good teacher.”</p><p>“I really wish you could be our manager,” Inuoka beamed. “You take really good care of us! You’re fun to be around. And you’re pr—”</p><p>Yaku tossed his wrapper at Inuoka’s head before he could finish. You pretended you didn’t know what he was going to say, mostly because you were overwhelmed. Compliments were meant to make you feel good. If anything, you were still wary of receiving them. It felt like they were still being dangled in front of you like a joke. You forced yourself to shelve those thoughts and went back to your seat.</p><p>The ride dragged on. You were tired from getting up early and cooking. You initially leaned against the window, but every bump on the road caused your head to hit the glass. You should’ve brought a pillow or something. You shifted for about the thousandth time before you heard your name being called.</p><p>“Just use my shoulder.” Kuroo pointed to it for emphasis. “It’s not as soft as yours, but it’s a lot better than risking a concussion with that window.”</p><p>You hesitated for a brief moment, but you honestly really did want to sleep. “Thanks.”</p><p>You scooted closer to him and tilted your head so you could rest it against the swell of his arm. He didn’t seem tense. It was an innocuous gesture, something that had no ulterior motives, but it still caused you to get slightly embarrassed. He was warm, firm and the smell of his freshly laundered uniform was enough to bring back the drowsiness you’d been fighting moments before.</p><p>You dozed off as best you could, comforted by the presence of his body so close to yours.</p><p>The bus came to a full stop and the clamor of the team reached your ears. It pulled you from the fuzzy dream you had moments before. Weird. When you looked straight ahead, all you could see was the back of a seat. Where were you? You shifted and realized you’d been lying down with your head nestled in Kuroo’s lap. Shit! You were supposed to be using his shoulder, not that!</p><p>“Sorry,” you mumbled, rubbing at your eyes.</p><p>Kuroo didn’t say anything to you. Was he okay? He refused to look at you. Instead, he pushed himself out of his chair and weaved through the guys so he could get to the front of the bus. He hurriedly asked the coaches something and then bounded off in a random direction.</p><p>You smoothed the back of your head. Kenma was locking his phone and you caught his attention. “What was that about?”</p><p>He shook his head, cheeks slightly pink, and left just as fast.</p><p>You had no idea what was going on. Maybe he got carsick and was holding back his puke the entire time? Or he just really had to use the bathroom and couldn’t get up because you were pinning him down? You weren’t sure. Still a little disoriented from your hard nap, you stumbled off the bus and tried to let the fresh air soothe your soul.</p><p>“Wow,” you breathed, gazing around. “It’s so beautiful here. And quiet.”</p><p>“Not very many people around. Seems like a small town.” Yaku put his hands on his hips and peered around. “Do you prefer somewhere like this?”</p><p>“I don’t know. It’s pretty nice, not having tons of people everywhere. I wouldn’t mind coming out here to visit once in a while.”</p><p>You had a little while before the practice game started and as such, there was a great opportunity for everyone to stretch their legs. You had no idea where Kuroo went off to. Both of the Nekoma liberos were chatting now, which left you to your own devices.</p><p>You glanced around while stretching your arms high above your head. It was cool enough to wear something light and airy. The sunlight warmed your bones with gentle rays peering through the wisps of clouds floating across the sky.</p><p>You heard a small meow behind you and turned. A calico cat! Cute! You stared at it for a long time as it lingered near the corner of the nearby building. Oh, man. What you wouldn’t give for that thing to come your way so you could smother it with affection. You wished you had something to lure it over here, but you could see why it was hesitant. The guys nearby were loud, obnoxious and a little scary.</p><p>“What are you looking at?” Kenma stood next to you. “A cat?”</p><p>“It’s adorable. I’m going to see if I can pet it.”</p><p>“I’ll come with you.” Kenma glanced over his shoulder and made a face at his teammates, who were excitedly chatting and otherwise making a huge ruckus. “Hopefully it doesn’t run away.”</p><p>You and Kenma took careful steps as you approached the cat. It got up from its sitting position and stretched both front legs out far in front of it, the puffy tail whipping around and curling up. You had no idea what the cat’s name was, whether it was a girl or boy, but what you did know was, you wanted to adopt it as your child.</p><p>It glanced at you, turned around, and took a leisurely trot around the corner of the building. It almost felt like it was leading you somewhere. Was this it? Were you a Ghibli protagonist and you didn’t even know it?! You would fully accept those consequences if it meant you could hook up with a mysterious guy whose sole intention was to sweep you off your feet.</p><p>You reached the building it was standing by and paused. The cat was further down the street and it peeked over at you before continuing on its way, unbothered. Okay, now you were really convinced that you were about to enter some kind of magical world. You picked up your pace and Kenma followed suit, the two of you letting the cat’s whims get the best of you.</p><p>“What the…?” You stood in the alley and gazed at the dead end. The only thing in front of you was a huge stone wall. You looked down at your feet to see if it had somehow wormed its way behind you and took off, but there was nothing. “Where did it go?”</p><p>You fully expected Kenma to have seen something, except…he wasn’t with you anymore. You whipped around to make sure and sure enough, he was gone, too. You cursed him under your breath. If he was the one chosen to go on a wholesome adventure, so be it, but you would be super salty about it.</p><p>You stepped out of the alleyway and searched the nearby paths and buildings, only to turn up empty. Shoot. Kuroo was going to kill you. You chewed on your lower lip and froze when you heard footsteps heading your way.</p><p>“Tetsurou…” You cleared your throat, embarrassed beyond belief. “I lost Kenma.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>You and Kuroo split up so you could search for him. You were more directionally savvy than Kenma was. He could daydream or be distracted by his phone long enough to end up walking off on his own. You at least had the attention and concentration to realize you fucked up and try to find your way back to the group. You knew you didn’t have to worry too much; he was smart enough to stay where he was when he finally did recognize he had no idea where he was. Better than wandering and becoming more and more turned around.</p><p>You sighed. Where should you even go? You started along the path that led up the hill. It looked like this was a frequented route. In fact, you could hear some distant voices. You got to a better vantage point and peered at the large group of guys going for a run. The smallest one with a head full of orange hair broke off from them and took off on his own, zipping down the path with no hesitation whatsoever. They all looked like they knew the area pretty well.</p><p>You were a ball of anxiety as you talked yourself up to approach them. They stopped to take a break and broke off into smaller groups, though one of them stayed behind to look around. You knew this was your chance. You swallowed your reservations and headed toward him, hoping you would be able to find your voice by the time you met up.</p><p>“Excuse me,” you called out, grabbing his attention instantly. “Are you from around here?”</p><p>He blinked once and then gave you a warm smile, closing the distance between you. “I am. Are you lost?”</p><p>“No, not me, but my friend is. He kind of wandered off. He’s got blond hair and—wait, I can show you.” You took out you phone and swiped through the pictures, finally finding one that you felt had the clearest depiction of him. “His name is Kozume Kenma. If you see him, would you mind giving him directions to Ibuki Gym?”</p><p>The guy looked surprised. “Oh, is he from Nekoma?”</p><p>“Yes, that’s right. Are you…from Karasuno?”</p><p>He nodded and you were relieved at how friendly he seemed to be despite you coming from rivalry schools. You introduced yourself and he told you his name was Sawamura Daichi. He was the captain of the Karasuno volleyball club.</p><p>“Are you their manager?”</p><p>“Me? No.” You laughed, a little embarrassed at his deduction. “I guess you can just say I’m a fan. A lot of my friends are in the club and they kind of roped me in. Everyone is looking forward to the match with you guys, including me. Well, I should keep taking a look around. Thank you very much, Sawamura.”</p><p>Before you could go, he offered to walk with you for a little while before he had to head back to his team. You accepted. He also insisted that you call him by his first name, mostly because everyone else did and he was used to it. You didn’t mind so much, either. You got used to that kind of thing living overseas.</p><p>You made small talk as he led you through the winding paths. You were starting to get worried, but Daichi assured you that while the place seemed big, everything kind of looped around. You were thankful for his kindness.</p><p>“Do you mind if I give you my number? If you find him, you can just text me and I’ll come and pick him up.”</p><p>“Oh…that’s fine with me.” He luckily had his phone on him, tucked safely in the deep pockets of his athletic shorts.</p><p>You entered his contact information right as you got a text from Kuroo that he found Kenma. What a relief. “Sorry, it actually looks like they found him. But thanks for all your help. It was nice talking with you.”</p><p>“Same here. I can walk you back to the gym…I wouldn’t want to be responsible for another Nekoma member getting lost in our prefecture. People would start to think it was on purpose.”</p><p>Daichi took you to the main road and you could see the bus still parked in its rightful spot. You turned toward him and once again thanked him for all his help. “Good luck with the game. I’ll be there on the sidelines to watch everyone. And if any of the boys step out of line, feel free to tell me.”</p><p>He chuckled and waved. “Bye.”</p><p>When you turned toward the bus, you realized that the entire Nekoma team was watching you from behind it. Some of them, like Yamamoto, were scowling. You had no idea what the big deal was, until you realized that they must have known who it was you were talking to. Sheesh. Rivalries between schools really did run deep, didn’t they? You pretended not to notice the intensity of the mood when you met back up with them.</p><p>“Who was that? Some punk bothering you?” Yamamoto barked. “Just say the word and I’ll beat him to a pulp!”</p><p>“Huh?” You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. “He was helping me look for Kenma. He’s the captain of Karasuno’s team.”</p><p>You heard murmurs in the crowd of guys. They were still suspicious about his motives and glared in his direction until he disappeared. One of them even referred to Daichi as a country bumpkin and you tried to hold back your laughter. They were truly childish.</p><p>“Making friends with the enemy?” Kuroo had a smile on his face, but you could tell it was strained. “Did you manage to grill him for any weaknesses?”</p><p>“Yeah. His vice principal's wig flew off and landed on his head in beginning of the year, and it's haunted him ever since.” You snorted and brushed past him to make sure Kenma was okay. “You guys worry about me too much. He was nice.”</p><p>Yaku was unimpressed with your attempt at diffusing the situation with your usual sarcastic humor. “Is that why you two exchanged numbers?”</p><p>“What? How did you know that?”</p><p>“A couple of us saw you when we were looking for Kenma.”</p><p>“I asked him for his contact info in case Kenma turned up and he needed to find us.” You had no clue why everyone was getting on your case. “Besides, it’s none of your business.”</p><p>“Wha--!” Yaku stormed after you as you headed toward the gym.</p><p>Kenma looked up from his phone and observed Kuroo’s darkening expression. “She’s not wrong,” he pointed out, earning an exasperated sign in response.</p><p>It was a lot of fun watching everyone play, even if it was against a school that totally underestimated you. You could hear Kuroo brag about Kenma and how he pulled the team together. He totally sounded like a proud parent at a PTA meeting or something. You watched from the stands and took note of the mistakes and improvements you’d seen since the last time.</p><p>The versus game with Karasuno was finally here. You followed the guys to the gym. Everyone from both teams would convene at the entrance and get a feel of each other before heading inside.</p><p>You scanned over the individuals who filed into your field of vision. Karasuno had some pretty cute members. You recognized the smaller one from the day prior, when he ran off on his own. Kenma mentioned meeting him and said he was a little strange, but interesting.</p><p>They did have a female manager who several of the guys went absolutely apeshit over. You had to admit, she was gorgeous, and she carried herself in a way that made it hard to take your eyes off her. You wondered if someone like her knew how much attention she drew in. She had this kind of self-assuredness without needing to say much. It was clear the rest of the team worshipped her, especially given how a couple of them challenged Yamamoto for staring.</p><p>You spotted Daichi and walked over to hand him the gift you’d gotten him as thanks for helping you look for Kenma. It was a little hard to do so, especially knowing everyone was staring as you crossed the way to speak with him. He was rightfully thrown for a loop when you offered him the bag filled with cookies you’d baked a few days prior.</p><p>“HEY! Those are OURS!” Yamamoto nearly went feral and a couple of other team members had to hold him back.</p><p>“Are you sure I can have these?” Daichi hesitated to take them, especially given the tantrum your underclassman was throwing.</p><p>“It’s fine. He does this kind of thing all the time. But if you don’t want them, I understand.”</p><p>“I’ll take them. Thank you.”</p><p>You went back to your side and everyone stepped in front of you, almost as if they were shielding you from Karasuno’s stares. So. Embarrassing.</p><p>Kuroo and Daichi were both captains and you did see them walk toward each other, only to grab each other’s hands. Judging by the pressure they put on each other, it was not a friendly handshake in the slightest. What was even happening? Was Kuroo like this was all of the other teams? Was this some kind of tactic he liked to use to intimidate his opponents? They smiled at each other, though all you could feel from their aura was sheer competitiveness.</p><p>It was obvious from the first game that Karasuno was still finding its feet. The players weren’t as in sync as Nekoma’s. Part of the problem stemmed from the relationship between the guys themselves. In Nekoma, everyone was friends in some way and got along. Sure, there were some minor disagreements between people like Yamamoto and Kenma, or Yaku and Kuroo, but those things were superficial at best. Watching these guys interact with each other was like seeing them test boundaries with each other. They weren’t fully aware of their shortcomings and would probably gain a lot more understanding after seeing how Nekoma’s team flowed.</p><p>You had to say, though – the kid with the orange hair was impressive. You thought for sure he would be playing as their libero given his stature, but he wasn’t. He launched into the air and went for that spike like no one you’d ever seen before. How he managed to get so much distance between his feet and the ground, you had no idea. You could feel your jaw slacken and become ajar from sheer surprise.</p><p>“What do you think of them?” Coach Nekomata asked. He seemed strangely calm as tensions continued to rise.</p><p>You watched them put the ball back into play and your brows furrowed. “They’ve got a lot of potential, just like we do. I mean that in a good way. There’s a lot of strong players who set the groundwork and once those underclassmen fine-tune their skills, I don’t think they’ll have much of a problem dominating the court.”</p><p>He reached over and patted your head. “It’s a shame you don’t go to Nekoma. We’d have the manager position open for you.”</p><p>You knew he meant well, but you couldn’t help but compare yourself to the girl across the room. She was so put-together. She concentrated on the game just as much as you were. You could see her taking notes and conversing with the coach to give her thoughts. It was clear judging by her figure and familiarity with the equipment that she was no stranger to athletics. She seemed a lot more well fit for the position than you.</p><p>The game ended in Nekoma’s win, not that Karasuno didn’t put up a fight.</p><p>“One more time…” the boy with orange hair called out, refusing to stand down. “One more time!”</p><p>Coach Nekomata was enthused by his response and agreed. None of the boys on Nekoma looked like they wanted to back down. Not even Kenma, who by now would’ve been aching to stomp off the court. He really looked like he was enjoying himself and it was heartwarming to see.</p><p>Two games later, both ending in Karasuno’s loss, you were finally done for the day. You had no idea how any of them were still standing. Adrenaline was a hell of a thing. You came down onto the court as Karasuno’s coach decided to talk with Nekoma’s team members. He had nothing but praise for their playing and he sincerely thanked them for giving his team the experience they needed to improve.</p><p>You were glad everyone had a good time. Kenma made a new friend and that was rare by itself. Yamamoto and a couple of the other Karasuno players, though initially confrontational, got along fine and were pumping their fists and shouting in glee at some kind of newly formed alliance. You saw Karasuno’s setter approach Kenma and grill him, while their libero yelled a bunch of compliments at Yaku.</p><p>“I like your team, Daichi,” you giggled, meeting him near the entrance. “They’re high-spirited.”</p><p>“It takes a lot to keep them in line.”</p><p>“I bet.” You felt a tap on your shoulder and turned around to see Yamamoto, Karasuno’s wing spiker, and their libero. “Can I help you?”</p><p>Daichi opened his mouth, but they beat him to it.</p><p>“I’m Nishinoya Yuu!” the libero shouted. His brown eyes were fierce. You couldn’t see a shred of doubt in them. “And I’m going to do what it takes for you to fall in love with me!”</p><p>You stepped back from him. “No offense, but you don’t even know me.”</p><p>“Tora told us all about you!” Nishinoya pointed at the offended member of the Nekoma club, who was mortified at being called out like this. “He said you’re an angel! You take care of the team, you’re smart, kind, and drop dead gorgeous! Please go out with me!”</p><p>“Um…” You had no words, so you did the first thing you could think of: you ran.</p><p>Laughter followed after you and you paid it no mind. You needed to get the hell out of here. You would run back to Tokyo if that’s what it took to get that little guy away from you. After several years of being overlooked by a lot of your peers, why was it that so many of them had been paying you more attention like this? You were halfway convinced this was all part of some elaborate plot for your friends to give you a self-esteem boost. That or you hit your head in the past and you were in some kind of coma. Did your body conjure up a dream where you were the heroine in a reverse harem manga?</p><p>You cowered in the back of the bus and stuck your headphones in so you didn’t have to listen to anyone discuss what just happened. It took another fifteen minutes before the club members boarded. One of them shouted at Kuroo that he found you. You hadn’t meant to go AWOL like that, but it was embarrassing as hell.</p><p>Kuroo sat next to you acting casual, though you knew for a fact he was biding his time to catch you unawares. You scooted away from him and moved closer to the window. Much to your horror, Karasuno was gathered outside the bus and heading in the opposite direction. Nishinoya spotted you and jumped up and down, waving his hand, calling your name. </p><p>You closed the window. Thankfully, the older setter with gray hair grabbed him by the ear and started to drag him away.</p><p>“You sure got popular,” Kuroo wheezed with laughter. “I think they started a fan club.”</p><p>“Shut up.” You turned your music up louder so you could drown out more of his smug commentary. You didn’t need to hear it from him.</p><p>It was late by the time you got back home. You stumbled off the bus and rubbed at your eyes with a long yawn. All your wanted was to climb into bed and repress all of those awkward memories from earlier. It didn’t help that the guys refused to let it go and were teasing Yamamoto. You decided you needed to leave as soon as you could. You didn’t want to be next.</p><p>You, Kenma and Kuroo all walked in silence. Kenma slept hard on the bus and was still halfway asleep. You and Kuroo had to make sure he didn’t trip over the pavement. Given how much closer your house was, your told them it would be best for them to stay over with you instead. Especially because you didn’t want Kenma falling asleep in the middle of the street.</p><p>You took out the bedding and as soon as you laid it out for Kenma, he crashed out. It was hilarious to see. Poor guy. He was worn out. Whoever that Hinata guy was, he definitely lit a spark in him. Kenma was competitive in a different type of way. He wouldn’t let Karasuno get one up on him, especially not with that blatant challenge from earlier.</p><p>“I have some spare clothes of yours. I’ll go get them.” You ducked inside your room and rummaged through your drawers. You hoped Kuroo would take them and drop the issue.</p><p>No such luck. He leaned in your doorway and watched you search for anything in his size. “So,” he snickered, causing your body to tense up. “The Angel of Nekoma, huh? It’s got a nice ring to it.”</p><p>“I am literally going to throw this at you.” You threatened him with the nearest stuffed animal. “I don’t know why this kind of thing is happening all of a sudden. Nobody gave a shit about me a year ago.”</p><p>Kuroo frowned. It looked like he hadn’t been expecting that response. “You’re wrong.”</p><p>“No, I’m not. Don’t you remember how your old teammates treated me? I’ll never forget about that. Or how Daishou used me just to piss you off so you’d lose the game. I’m the same person as before, and it’s making me mad that I’m getting it from all sides.”</p><p>Kuroo stopped you from slamming the drawer shut. He crouched down next to you and leaned forward so you would have to at least see him in your peripheral vision.</p><p>“You’ve always been beautiful, you know,” he told you firmly. “It’s not all of a sudden. You were just so convinced you weren’t. You walked around putting yourself down all the time and you snapped at pretty much everyone who went against your expectations of yourself. And yeah, there’s always going to be assholes like the old members of my team, people who don’t bother taking their head out of their ass. Not everyone is going to be nice. Not everyone is gonna treat you like you deserve. But the difference is that <i>you</i> know they’re wrong. It makes it easier for people to run with that energy.”</p><p>You handed him the clothes and said nothing else. Kuroo searched your face for a moment before rousing himself up from the ground. He turned his back toward you and made a move for the bathroom so he could change.</p><p>“Tetsurou,” you called out to him. “Um…thank you.”</p><p>“Yeah, well…” He ran his hand through his unruly hair and shot you a lopsided grin. “I can’t say I’m not jealous of ‘em.”</p><p>He rounded the corner before you could ask him what he meant by that. Your eyes lingered on the spot he once occupied and you sucked in a deep breath, knowing full well that the lingering warmth in your face was all his doing.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Seeing as how we're now in the third year and we all know how the volleyball games go down, I'm not going to retell them with too much detail. BUT...if there is something specific you'd like to see - a certain game, characters meeting up with Reader, etc - then don't hesitate to let me know! I'm open to taking requests since we're at a point where Reader has an opportunity to interact with a lot of the other characters.</p><p>P.S. We all know the Haikyuu boys are pure of heart, mind and soul, and would treat Reader right. It's not really about a physical change/glow-up that's caused her to get much more attention from them, it's about her learning to accept herself and not make excuses for who she is/what she looks like. Hopefully that makes sense. This isn't to say someone's worth as a person depends on how attractive they are to other people, but I think it's important for fat women reading this to recognize that they are just as desirable as anyone else. This is a fic for you, to show you that no matter how out of place you feel, you are absolutely worthy of love.</p><p>Thanks for reading and have a great week!</p>
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<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Difficult Decisions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You've chosen your path and so has he.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>First off, I wanted to say sorry about the length of this chapter. I got my 2nd dose of the COVID vaccine last week (since I work in healthcare) and it kicked my ass. I'm feeling wayyy better now, but it cut into my writing time. I hope you guys enjoy this regardless.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m really sorry, Kou, but I really can’t afford to miss any study time.”</p><p>You turned the page over in your book and winced as Bokuto’s voice boomed from the cellphone resting on the desk. He would get through to you, no matter how long it took. You’d seen it before. Bokuto was never the type to give up. Not with volleyball and not with friendships. He was one of the few people you knew would never lose touch with you because of that. In this instance, though? He was being kind of whiny.</p><p>“You don’t have to stay the whole day! You can just come by and watch me practice. You haven’t seen me in a game yet and there’s no way I’m losing to Kuroo!”</p><p>You erased the mistake you made on your paper. It was hard to concentrate with him nagging at you for who knew how long. You weren’t joking when you said you had things to do. As fun as it would be to pal around with Kaori and Yukie while the boys practiced for their annual training camp, you were taking your last year seriously. You weren’t a member of either of their clubs and you had no real reason to tag along. You would just end up being a distraction to everyone.</p><p>“It’s not that I don’t want to go. I’ve been busting my ass trying to make sure I stand a chance in the entrance exams for Keio University. I was lucky enough for Mr. Dobashi to agree to administer a practice test so I can get a feel for what kind of things I’ll be expected to know.”</p><p>“But it’s summer break!” Bokuto continued to pout. “What’s the use of having time off if you don’t use it?!”</p><p>You couldn’t argue with him there. Sometimes you got so absorbed in your college prep that you didn’t have any time to actually sit back and enjoy yourself. Summer break wasn’t nearly as long as it was in America.</p><p>“I’ll think about it, okay? Now I really do need to go.”</p><p>“Awww. Okay. Talk to you tomorrow.” He hung up before you could get another word in.</p><p>Ah, Bokuto. Never change. Since you’d been gone, he’d only gotten more talented, overzealous, and passionate. It was a relief to see that he’d gotten so popular in his school, too. He was a good guy and everyone was blessed to see it. You heard that he even had his own cheering section in Fukurodani, and that they always made sure to show up to all of their away games.</p><p>After a few minutes of failed calculations, you needed to step back and take a breather. You wandered over to the kitchen and opened up the fridge, peering down at the stacks of leftovers that you were too lazy to heat up. You decided you would instead grab a bag of chips and settle down on the couch to let the TV numb your brain for a little bit.</p><p>You had to admit, it was nice having some time to yourself. Everyone wanted to make up for the year you lost by making tons of plans with you. You didn’t mind it so much in the beginning. Now, though? You were a little overwhelmed with your group of friends vying for your attention. It didn’t help that a certain someone liked to burst into your house at a moment’s notice just to bug you.</p><p>You still didn’t know what to think about Kuroo. You wanted to believe there was still something there between you. The thing was, you were afraid to confront him about it. Your last attempt at a relationship crashed and burned. While you were a little older and a little wiser now, you weren’t sure if you were truly ready to try again. You didn’t think you were particularly fair to him the last time you dated. You had your problems, and you didn’t want to fall into the old routine of relying on him to make you feel good about yourself all the time.</p><p>He made it difficult to shelve those thoughts, though. He was around all the time. He shot you those goofy grins and smug smirks. He showed you hints of what he had in the past, back when you were oblivious to how he felt. You picked up on his subtle flirtations and were caught between wanting to retaliate and pretending you didn’t notice.</p><p>You stood up to put the bag of chips away and heard a hard knock on the door. The hell? You weren’t expecting company. You wondered if this was another one of Kuroo’s pranks or maybe if your parents sent you a care package. You smoothed down your hair and reached for the doorknob. You opened it up just enough to peer outside.</p><p>“Heya!” Kaori chirped. Yukie was at her side. “We heard from a certain someone that you needed a little push to come to the training camp!”</p><p>“Seriously?” You stepped back so they could let themselves in.</p><p>Yukie saw what was in your hands and relieved you from your duty, opting instead to open the chip bag back up and dive in. You were always amazed at her. DTS: down to snack.</p><p>“Bokuto wouldn’t stop crying about it, and sorry, but we need him at the top of his game this week.” Kaori brushed past you and went for your room, her voice echoing down the hall. “I know you’re busy, but I promise it’ll be fun! You need to relax, too!”</p><p>You sighed. “Now you sound like Bokuto. What exactly did he do to you guys?”</p><p>Yukie swallowed and shrugged her shoulders. “Well, he said he wouldn’t play unless you were there.”</p><p>“Ah, jeez.” You were going to have a serious talk with him about threatening his managers with that nonsense. They put up with enough of his eccentric behavior already.</p><p>“The truth is, we do want you there, and not just for the volleyball.” Yukie leaned against the back of the couch, that sleepy smile still on her face. “We haven’t had a chance for a sleepover since you came back. We’ll have our own room in the dorms and everything.”</p><p>You weren’t sure what Kaori was doing and frankly it worried you. You shot Yukie a look and followed the trail of light perfume to your room. You lingered in the doorway and saw Kaori already working on folding a pile of clothes that she selected from your closet.</p><p>“I’ll let you pick your underwear,” Kaori waved at you, unbothered by the fact that you were weary of her invading your space. “And before you ask, I did get permission from our coach. So there’s no way you can run to him and persuade him otherwise.”</p><p>“Since when did you two become so calculating?”</p><p>“Try having to keep Bokuto in check all the time,” Yukie answered curtly. “He’s a handful.”</p><p>“Well, I can’t really argue with you there.”</p><p>As much as you initially protested, a sleepover with them did sound fun. You got used to spending so many weekends with your friends in America and there wasn’t that same opportunity here since you were so busy. You didn’t want them to feel like you weren’t invested in your friendships anymore. If they really wanted you to go, then you would.</p><p>“Besides, the last time you went, you met us!” Kaori set down another outfit and had a bright smile on her face. “We know the other girls a lot better now, so we can introduce you. Promise it won’t be awkward or anything.”</p><p>You opened up your drawer and fished out some undergarments. “Alright! You’ve convinced me. I’ll do my best to help out with whatever you need so I don’t feel like a freeloader.”</p><p>It shouldn’t have surprised you that you ended up standing in front of the gym where the teams would be practicing hard for the next few days. Your friends were all volleyball dorks and always managed to rope you in. Even if you wanted to distance yourself from the sport, they would find some way to change your mind.</p><p>“Let’s go drop off our bags at the room. C’mon!”</p><p>You gazed around as the other schools started to arrive. You already told Kenma, Kuroo and Yaku that you would be coming along. Kuroo teased you for even thinking you could get away with not attending the training camp at least one more time before you graduated. You hated to say it, but he was right. As usual.</p><p>“Hey, hey, hey!!!” Bokuto dashed over to you and immediately wrapped his arms around you so he could lift you off the ground in a tight hug. You heard some chuckles and whispers from the other students as you wiggled around so he would let go of you. He’d trained relentlessly with Minoru and proved to you more than once that he was strong enough to pick you up. It was embarrassing. “You’re here!”</p><p>“Of course I am. You threatened everyone else if I didn’t show,” you scolded him. He wasn’t deterred in the slightest. “Kou, what are you gonna do once you make it into a national team and I can’t drop everything to come see you?”</p><p>“Yeah, she’ll be too busy with me.”</p><p>You turned and saw Kuroo arrive with the rest of Nekoma in tow. One look at that smarmy face and you huffed. You were not going to let him see how flustered that throwaway comment made you.</p><p>Despite the sun barely stretching out its beams of light across the city, all of the guys were raring to go. It was scary to see them so full of energy. You heard rambunctious laughter, yells as guys reunited after a long spring semester without seeing each other, and even old-fashioned ribbing as they made bets on who would win the most games in their time here. Already dressed in shorts and t-shirts with muscled arms and calves peering out from their workout gear, they were bathing in the competitive spirit and loving it.</p><p>You heard a collective murmur from the crowd and peered around Bokuto’s figure to see who it was that the guys were staring at. Oh. You’d recognize that girl in a heartbeat. She was Karasuno’s manager. She breezed past several guys with poise. Her long lashes fluttered as she tried to ignore their outright ogling. It looked like she had an assistant manager now, a shy blonde who bumbled along closely.</p><p>“What’s Karasuno’s manager doing here?” you muttered.</p><p>“I told you they came to play at Nekoma a couple of weeks ago,” Kuroo snorted. “Your fault for not showing up.”</p><p>You made a face. “I said I was sorry. I already promised Minoru I would help him out while he hosted that small competition, and I wasn’t going to back out on him.”</p><p>“Lev was pretty upset you didn’t show. He’s been wanting to prove himself to you ever since you chewed him out.”</p><p>Karasuno’s members headed toward the gym. It had been a few months since you’d seen them in person, but you heard from Kenma that they were working hard to make their mark here at the camp. You did want to formally meet this Hinata kid. He had done a lot to bring Kenma even more out of his shell, and that was enough for you to like him.</p><p>Kuroo snuck a glance at you and you did not like the mischievousness in his eyes. “Plus, that libero from Karasuno asked me about you.”</p><p>You scowled at him in response. “Oh, yeah? And what’d you tell him?”</p><p>“That you’re pretty high maintenance, moody, clumsy, and can kill people with a single look. You know, the usual.”</p><p>God. He really was such a jerk sometimes. You knew he was saying all of that just to rile you up, but it was still embarrassing to hear. You brushed past him and took your opportunity to leave the crowd so you could drop your things off at the dorms.</p><p>“Wait, where’re you going?” Kuroo called after you.</p><p>“Kuroo, you really are so clueless sometimes,” Kaori grumbled at him as you walked away. “Don’t you know by now that the whole ‘bully the girl you like’ thing is so lame? You’re not a kid anymore!”</p><p>His grin faded as he processed her words. Well, damn.</p><p>You thought Fukurodani would need more of your help, but Kaori and Yukie had things down to a pat. That and they had their own underclassman who was eager to learn from them so she could take over once they graduated.</p><p>You found yourself watching the games instead. So many different teams, so many different playing styles. Karasuno in particular seemed to be struggling quite a bit. Each time they lost, they were forced to participate in numerous drills. You wondered how they were supposed to win if their energy was sapped by all the extra exercise, but it honestly didn’t seem to matter to them. They were all putting forth the effort to keep pushing forward.</p><p>You finished putting the balls away with Kaori and Yukie. Bokuto said he wanted to practice some more because he was a literal freak who had zero limits on his stamina, apparently. Kuroo agreed to go with him since no one else wanted to. You were ready to grab something to eat and then retire to the dorms.</p><p>“Hey, isn’t this Kuroo’s?”</p><p>You took the water bottle from Yukie and flipped it over to look at the terrible drawing that you scribbled years ago. It wasn’t your finest work, and Kuroo was offended at your rendition of his bedhead, but he refused to throw it away. “Yup.”</p><p>“Well…Yukie and I are going to talk with the coach before we leave, so you should give it to him!” Kaori put her hands flat on your back and pushed you toward the exit. “Go on!”</p><p>You knew what she was trying to do. “Fine,” you groaned, stumbling through the doorway. “I’ll meet you guys at the cafeteria, then.”</p><p>Kuroo’s words from earlier still stung, though you knew it wouldn’t be long before he somehow wormed his way back into your heart again. He was persistent like that. You glanced around and heard his voice carry from not too far away, so you headed in that direction.</p><p>As soon as you were about to head inside, one of the Karasuno members bolted from the gym and took off. Sheesh. You furrowed your brows and entered into the room just as Bokuto was grilling Kuroo for what happened.</p><p>“Hey,” you called out, causing them both to jump. “What happened?”</p><p>“Kuroo pissed that first-year off!”</p><p>“Dude,” he hissed. “Shut up.”</p><p>Akaashi didn’t care at all and continued where the ace left off. “He said that if he didn’t work hard enough, he would be overshadowed by his teammate.”</p><p>You stood there for a second and shook your head. “You know,” you started, “sometimes your quips can be funny, but this makes the second time you’ve hurt someone’s feelings today. I don’t know what you thought would happen. You’d better make sure to apologize to him.”</p><p>Without another word, you shoved the water bottle into his chest. Kuroo wrapped his hand around it and you exited the gym, your face hot from embarrassment at the scene you’d just caused.</p><p>After dinner, you went to the dorms with the other girls. Kaori and Yukie were in their pajamas and comparing notes with each other. You didn’t want to wait for them any longer and gathered up your shower caddy, towel and change of clothes as you made your way to the female showers. You only got about halfway down the hallway when you almost ran into the Karasuno player from earlier.</p><p>“Sorry,” he muttered, and made a move to continue past you. You watched his back for a moment before you called out to him.</p><p>“Hey…Tsukishima, right? You’re Karasuno’s middle blocker.”</p><p>He seemed surprised that you knew who he was. He stopped mid-step and wheeled around to face you. “That’s me.”</p><p>You introduced yourself and wasn’t sure how to explain what your connection was to the volleyball clubs present. “I’m friends with members of Nekoma and Fukurodani. I heard Tetsurou…err, Kuroo said something to you earlier. I wanted to say sorry on his behalf.”</p><p>Tsukishima’s flat expression didn’t change at first. You watched him give a strained smile, something overly polite and fake, as he held up a hand. “Ah, that was a misunderstanding.”</p><p>“No, it wasn’t.” You closed the distance between you so you could get a clearer picture of his mood. This guy was putting up a front. You knew that look all too well. “As his friend, I can tell you he’s a little clumsy when it comes to his words and he can be sharp to people who don’t know him well. In other words…well, he’s kind of a dick.”</p><p>Tsukishima didn’t know if he should laugh or not. He seemed surprised at your harsh words, but you needed him to understand that you weren’t trying to make excuses for Kuroo’s behavior.</p><p>“I don’t know much about you, and neither does he. Sometimes he acts like he knows everything when he’s absolutely clueless. But what I can say is this: despite all of that, he’s perceptive and knows talent when he sees it. I know what he said to you and it was out of line. However, I would appreciate it if you would consider his position and experience. He’s the captain of Nekoma for a reason. You need polishing and that’s why you’re here. He went about it the wrong way, but he was trying to kick your ass into improving yourself because he sees your potential. I know that because I also saw the plays you made today.”</p><p>Without any warning, you dropped into a bow. Tsukishima tensed, as you could tell from his clenched fists at his sides.</p><p>“Please accept my apology on his behalf.”</p><p>“Tch…” Tsukishima’s polite attitude wavered a bit. “You shouldn’t go around bowing to your underclassmen so easily. Don’t you have any sense of pride?”</p><p>“I don’t care about that. Underclassmen or not, you deserve an apology. That’s all there is to it.”</p><p>“Fine. Just…stand up already.” He pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose and avoided eye contact with you when you straightened up. “You’re nosy,” he said bluntly. “He’s old enough to fight his own battles.”</p><p>You smirked haughtily at him, enjoying the fact that he was comfortable enough to show some of his true colors. “Tell me about it. Maybe you should remind him when you tell him how cool I was for what I just did. Goodnight, Tsukishima.”</p><p>You continued to the bathroom and wondered if any of your words reached him.</p><p>The hot shower was what you needed to compose yourself. In truth, you were nervous about speaking to Tsukishima, only because you didn’t want to create an even bigger misunderstanding than before. Maybe it wasn’t your place to interfere with Kuroo’s problems like that. Tsukishima was right. You kind of forced yourself into his life and you wondered if that took away some of his independence.</p><p>You dried yourself off and got dressed into your pajamas which was, surprise surprise, one of Kuroo’s old t-shirts and some sweatpants. You exited the bathroom and almost jumped out of your skin when you turned around and saw someone just standing there.</p><p>“Hey!” he exclaimed. “I’m glad I found you before you headed off to bed.”</p><p>“Oh...Nishinoya?”</p><p>“You can just call me Noya. Or Yuu. Whatever you want, I’m not picky!”</p><p>You tried to hint that you weren’t in the mood for a conversation and made a slow start down to the dorms. He didn’t mind at all, falling in line to keep his pace up with you.</p><p>“I was outside the bathroom making sure no one got any ideas. Tora was helping me, but when he heard you about to come out, he ran. He must’ve remembered he had something to do.”</p><p>“Uh…thanks?” You shifted away from his piercing stare.</p><p>“Don’t mention it. You never know, some of these guys go crazy when it comes to girls and they lose their cool. It doesn’t hurt to be more careful. You can rely on me!”</p><p>You decided to change the subject, if only because you were horrified at the thought that a couple of guys were right outside the door the entire time you were naked. “So…how do you like the training camp so far?”</p><p>That set him off. He went into a full ramble about how awesome Saitama was so far and how it differed from Miyagi. He was pumped up to play games with opponents he’d never faced off before. He even said that he wasn’t discouraged at all by the penalties his team had to suffer for losing so many times. He was pretty talkative and carried most of the conversation. To your relief, he also didn’t mention anything about what he declared the last time you met.</p><p>“What did you think about me on the court? I saw you watching everyone.”</p><p>“I mean, yeah, I was curious about Karasuno, I’d only ever seen you play that one time. Yakkun is my best friend and he told me he was impressed by you at the last versus game. You bring this sort of…energy to the team that not everyone else can. They trust you a lot, it’s easy to see, and you don’t let them down even when it gets tough. I can see how dedicated you are to them and the sport, a lot of your saves were beyond cool. I’m looking forward to seeing how you get even better.”</p><p>You lingered outside the dorm room and glanced over your shoulder. Nishinoya had stars in his eyes and this big, dopey smile on his face. Uh oh. No! Abandon ship! You got so engrossed in analyzing his performance you hadn’t even noticed you were complimenting him the entire time.</p><p>“Look, Nishinoya—”</p><p>“Noya! Or Yuu!”</p><p>“…Noya. I’m…super flattered about what you said to me before. The thing is, I’m not interested in dating anyone right now. I’m sorry.”</p><p>He was completely unfazed. “Oh! You’re focusing on school?”</p><p>“Yeah. I want to graduate, and I’ve got my top pick for uni already lined up. I’ve dated before and it didn’t go well, so right now, I want to put my energy into studying.”</p><p>Nishinoya’s bright demeanor didn’t change one bit. “That’s awesome! I respect that! Hey, I’ve heard you’re really smart, so whatever you want to do, I bet you’ll succeed!”</p><p>“Thank you. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.”</p><p>“Who, me? I’m still serious about you! If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I never give up!” He pointed his thumb at himself with so much confidence it was hard to look away. “I’ll prove to you that I’m good enough to be your boyfriend! Just watch!”</p><p>You gawked. He was all sparkles and optimism. How could someone be so sure of themselves? You turned the handle to the door and slowly backed inside, shutting the door behind you as he shouted his goodbye.</p><p>You collapsed into the bedding and Kaori and Yukie looked over at you. “Everything okay?” Kaori asked.</p><p>“M’fine,” you murmured with your face firmly planted in the blankets. “Does anyone have any chocolate?”</p><p>Four hands shot out with some type of candy in them. You didn’t even bother looking at who was offering what, though it was hilarious that so many of the other managers knew what was up. You simply grabbed whichever one was closest and popped it in your mouth, letting its sweet taste melt away any lingering stress.</p><p>Kuroo stared at the ceiling and heard the telltale snores of his teammates as they drifted off to sleep. All he could think about was your confrontation earlier. Had he been too harsh this time? He kind of ended up zero for two considering you weren’t impressed, and neither was that first year from Karasuno. He guessed that the thrum of adrenaline from earlier in the day, along with the spirit of competition, made him utter some things that might’ve been filtered out otherwise.</p><p>“Stop thinking so hard. I’m trying to sleep.”</p><p>Kuroo chuckled and rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand. “So sorry, Yakkun. Didn’t want to get in the way of your beauty rest.”</p><p>“That’s exactly the kind of thing that gets you into trouble. Can’t you ever turn it off?” Yaku asked, annoyed. “Why didn’t you say sorry to her earlier? You’re going to let her stew in it all night?”</p><p>“I don’t know, dude. Sometimes if I try to be the one to fix things, it blows up in my face. She needs her space.”</p><p>“You really are a coward. You don’t want to say sorry for what you said earlier, and you don’t want to tell her that you’re still in love with her.” Yaku relished how deeply his words cut. Kuroo didn’t have a witty comeback for that. “If you don’t ask her out, someone else will. And you’re going to be the third wheel.”</p><p>“Like who?”</p><p>“Are you serious? Look around you. Everyone backs off because they know you’re still in the picture and it’s out of respect for your friendship. But if you don’t do something about it, then their patience is going to run thin. If you don’t make a move, she’ll assume it’s because you’re not interested and move on with her life. And to be honest, she doesn’t owe you another chance in the first place.”</p><p>Kuroo frowned. He couldn’t stand the idea of you dating someone else, as selfish as it was. Could he really go the rest of his life watching you be happy with another guy? Even picturing you with someone he knew and could trust was hard to swallow. He couldn’t imagine having to take a backseat while some random dude took his place in your life.</p><p>“If you don’t tell her by the end of the training camp, then give up.” Yaku rolled over in his bedding. “Because if you don’t do it now, then you never will. And it’s only going to get harder to spend time with each other once we start preparing for the qualifiers. Then it’ll be the end of the year before you know it, and she’ll go off to pursue her dreams while you just watch her walk away.”</p><p>Kuroo closed his eyes to piece together a response and his breathing slowed. By the time he opened his mouth to say something, he realized he was alone. He looked around only to find that he wasn’t even in the dorm room anymore. He wasn’t as bothered as he should’ve been. He stood against a nearby concrete wall and gazed around at the familiar setting. It was the front gate of Hanagasuku. Since when did he get here?</p><p>“Tetsurou,” you called out to him. “Are you coming, or what?”</p><p>He turned and the atmosphere shifted. You weren’t in your school uniform. You were dressed in that winter outfit that you wore the first time you went ice skating. He gazed down at his gloved hands and found one of them slipping into yours. You tugged him forward through the snowy sidewalk and he kept his pace up with you, wondering where you were going.</p><p>He saw the park where you would hang out with Kenma. He saw the open field where the two of you met. The further down the street he walked, the more the backdrop changed. You glanced back at him and he was blown away with the vibrancy to your eyes. It left his chest feeling tight.</p><p>You came to a stop. In the background he could hear the familiar squeak of athletic shoes on the court, a volleyball hitting the net, and the school bell ring. It got so loud he found it difficult to concentrate. He saw you back yourself up against the wall. It was the very same one that you hid behind during your first Valentine’s Day together, when you kissed openly in the darkness to avoid prying eyes.</p><p>He wasn’t sure how he ended up in your position, but he did. He saw you lean in and his eyes squeezed shut once he felt your plush lips leave soft trails down the column of his neck. There was no traffic, no passersby, no one but you. You bit down on his skin and sucked hard enough for him to flinch and grunt, his fingers digging into the concrete behind him as his palms smacked flat against the wall.</p><p>After leaving bruising kisses from one side to the other, your lips traveled lower to his collarbones. He gazed down at the crown of your head and realized your fingers traced the bare skin of his abdomen. Since when had his shirt come off? He heard the kisses become more heated, sloppy, warm and wet as you traveled further along his stomach and to his hip bones.</p><p>“Wait—” Kuroo protested. “Hey, we’re in public—”</p><p>“Never stopped you before.” You placed a kiss along the fine hairs on his happy trail, unbothered by how hard his stomach was clenching from the intimacy of it. “You’re the one always getting me riled up. So it’s my turn.”</p><p>You grabbed his belt loop and pulled it out of the buckle, making quick work of it before it loosened and slipped down his hips. His pants button came next, followed by the sharp sound of the zipper being dragged down by your deft fingers. He felt the material pool around his ankles and bucked into your touch when you palmed him through his boxers.</p><p>“We’re seriously gonna do this?” he panted, his blush deepening at the salacious smile on your face. “You want to do this with me?”</p><p>In response, he groaned and felt your fingers curl over his entire length. You applied just enough pressure for him to feel it through his undergarments. He didn’t even know what to concentrate on at this point. The heady eye contact and smoky stare, your fingers stroking him in a teasing, testing rhythm, or the way your free hand slid upwards to grip his own. You threaded your fingers together and held his hand, as if reassuring him to relax.</p><p>He glanced down and he was completely bare. All of his insecurities came full force and he attempted to crack a stupid joke to lighten the mood, but it died once he locked eyes with you. You curled your hand around him and squeezed it into a loose fist, twisting your wrist as you pumped him up and down. Everything was so sensitive. You ran your thumb along the tip and smeared the bead of precum along the spongy curve of its head. He shuddered from the softness of your palm and a disbelieving laugh rumbled from his chest. Your hand became slick in no time, creating enough friction for his toes to curl. All he could hear was a suggestive squelch as his hips rolled forward to thrust weakly into your hand.</p><p>“I still love you,” he blurted. “I want to get back together.”</p><p>Somewhere in the distance, a bell tolled.</p><p>Your lips were a hair’s breadth away from him and when you spoke, he could feel your warm breath wash over his pulsing length. “Yeah. I know.”</p><p>Kuroo gasped as soon as your mouth sank down to the base, swallowing all of him in one go, and his vision went white.</p><p>“DUDE! Wake up!”</p><p>The heavy pillow smacked against his face and Kuroo bolted upright, heart hammering and his mind still in a daze. The morning light peeked in from the window on the other side of the room and it was blinding enough to bring him into a squint. He shifted in his blankets and saw everyone else in the room getting up to put their bedding away.</p><p>“We’ve been calling you forever, man. Your phone kept going off.” Tora bent down and showed him the outrageous amount of snoozes it’d already gone through. “You sick or something?”</p><p>“He did stay up pretty late last night,” Yaku explained. He had his supplies so he could run to the bathroom and start with his morning routine. “We were talking.”</p><p>“Oh! About what?”</p><p>“Nothing you need to know about, Lev. Mind your business.”</p><p>Everyone filed out and Kuroo felt a little woozy as he struggled to sit up. He pulled the blanket off and went pale.</p><p>“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” he muttered, “fuck.”</p><p>He gathered up the blankets and stuffed them into a laundry bag so he could wash them later. He had to get changed out of his sleepwear. He was sticky all over and he would never live it down if his teammates found out why he’d been so hard to rouse from sleep.</p><p>This was all your fault and you had no idea. The worst part was this wasn’t the first time this had happened. Not by a long shot.</p><p>As embarrassing as it was, he had to put this incident behind him. He would take you aside and apologize today for what happened earlier. He never felt right when the two of you weren’t talking to each other. This time, it felt like your distance wasn’t to punish him, but a way for you to cool off so you wouldn’t say or do anything to make it worse. He could appreciate that.</p><p>Unfortunately, he didn’t have very many opportunities to do so. You were surrounded by the female managers at breakfast. He had to run his teammates through drills. Then they got right back into practicing. He thought maybe at lunch he would have a chance to ask for a moment of your time.</p><p>Yaku was right. He had to be a man and confront his feelings. He had to stop messing around and tell you straight up how he felt. It made him sick thinking about it, but what else could he do? It’d been months since you’d moved back and he had so many opportunities that fell through his fingers. He wasn’t going to let this be another one of them.</p><p>Before then, Kuroo decided to apologize to Daichi about what happened. Karasuno’s captain deserved to know why his middle blocker was in such a foul mood.</p><p>“Can I have another slice of watermelon? Pleeeease?!”</p><p>“Kou, that’s like your third one!” you exclaimed, turning around so he couldn’t reach the plate. “I’m all for your massive appetite, but c’mon. These guys need a chance to grow, too.”</p><p>From behind you, Akaashi took the last piece that was on the plate and took a bite out of it. His traitorous actions caused Bokuto to fall to his knees in despair.</p><p>“AKAASHIII!!! WHY?!”</p><p>“You’ll get a stomachache, Bokuto.” Akaashi went to take another bite, but realized something. “Did you get a piece yet?”</p><p>“Oh, no. It’s fine though. I want to make sure you guys cool off, first. You’re the ones who have been running around, not me.”</p><p>He handed it to you without another word. “You should still have some. It’s good.”</p><p>You smiled, knowing full well that he wouldn’t take no for an answer. “Okay, okay. Thanks, Keiji.”</p><p>“Whaaaat?! Since when do you call him by his first name?!” Bokuto pouted. His hair deflated while his shoulders slumped.</p><p>“It’s not a big deal…we’ve known each other for awhile now.” You took a bite from the watermelon slice. It was sweet, crisp, and refreshing. You managed to avoid a mouthful of seeds, too. You chewed thoughtfully and swallowed as Bokuto went as red as what you held in your hands.</p><p>“Y-you just had an indirect kiss!” he shouted, scrambling backwards. “Kuroooo!”</p><p>You rolled your eyes and went to take another mouthful, except this time was not as forgiving as the last. The juice from the watermelon dripped down your chin and seeped into the front of your shirt. Of course you picked today to wear white. You made a noise of annoyance and held the piece far away from you so you could check out the damage.</p><p>“Here.” You handed the watermelon back to Akaashi. “I’m going to get changed.”</p><p>Sheesh. Good thing Kaori made sure to pack extra clothes in case something like this happened. You made your way back to the female dorms. You would have to jump in the shower, only because the watermelon juice had traveled all the way down to your belly and there was no way you would be able to sit comfortably like that until nighttime.</p><p>Kuroo saw you exit the group and realized this was his chance. He disposed of his watermelon rind in the nearest trash can and jogged in your direction. He wasn’t sure what happened, but it looked like you were heading back to your room.</p><p>He breezed through the door and his heart was racing. He had no idea what he would even manage to say when he met up with you, but he was confident he could come up with something eloquent enough to get his point across. He stopped right before rounding the corner and ran a hand through his hair. He probably looked like ass after a long morning of practice. He didn’t think you would mind much, especially since you always seemed to lean into his sweaty hugs after practice.</p><p>“Can I come in?”</p><p>Kuroo peeked around the wall and cursed. Dammit! Kaori and Yukie were already there. He had to wait it out. As soon as they left, he would take his chance.</p><p>“What happened?”</p><p>“I just got watermelon all over my fricken shirt.”</p><p>“Give me your clothes and I’ll run it down to the laundry room for you. I’m a pro at getting stains out!” Kaori exclaimed. “Let’s just say Bokuto and pigs have one thing in common: they like to play in the mud.”</p><p>“I’ll never forget that,” Yukie murmured, her eyes faraway. “He got it so dirty he had to treat us out to that buffet as repayment. They had crab cakes. I took a whole container full of them home.”</p><p>“After I distracted the hostess with some small talk.” Kaori sighed. “Anyway, before I go, I wanted to ask if you and Kuroo made up yet.”</p><p>“No, not yet. I was going to see him a little later about it.”</p><p>“You guys had better hash it out soon. I really prefer you guys flirting over fighting.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Yukie crossed her arms and leaned forward so she could survey your face. “You know he still likes you, right? If you like him, then you guys should try going out again. It’s not complicated.”</p><p>You weren’t sure how else to put this, so you just went for it. “Actually, I’ve been thinking,” you swallowed hard, knowing they weren’t going to like your next words. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to start dating again.”</p><p>“What? Why?”</p><p>Kuroo felt his heart sink. He really hadn’t expected that. He fisted his shirt and backed up against the wall to rest his now aching head.</p><p>“Is there someone else?”</p><p>“No, it’s not like that. I just…” You hesitated. “I love Tetsurou more than anything. But I don’t want to get in the way. You guys saw how stressed out and strung out he got when we tried to date when I was overseas. He could barely juggle his relationship with me along with volleyball and school. And I wasn’t asking for much back then, all I wanted was weekend date nights. It was way too much for him. Now he’s the captain and he has an amazing team that’s well on their way to play at nationals. I’d never forgive myself if I ended up taking up so much of his energy that he couldn’t give a hundred percent to everyone at Nekoma who’s counting on him. Maybe I’m acting like a martyr again, but that’s honestly how I feel. I don’t mind putting my feelings aside for that. I really don’t.”</p><p>Kaori and Yukie exchanged glances. “I don’t get it,” Kaori finally sighed. “It shouldn’t be this hard. You like him, he likes you. Why can’t you be together and let everything else fall into place?”</p><p>“She knows Kuroo better than you do, though. If that’s what you really want, then we’ll support you. But if you change your mind, we understand, too.”</p><p>“Yeah. If Kuroo heard you right now, I don’t think he’d agree. But it takes two people to be in a relationship, and if you’re convinced it won’t work, then I guess there’s nothing he can do about it.” Kaori hugged the pile of sullied clothes to her chest. “I still think you should take some time to think it over. I mean, Kuroo isn’t the same person he was a year ago. He’s worked really hard to be a better guy for you. It’s a shame if it goes to waste because you don’t think he can handle it. He’s tougher than you think.”</p><p>“I appreciate it, guys, I really do, but I don’t want to take that risk. I don’t want him to feel like he has to choose between me and volleyball.”</p><p>Kaori and Yukie said their goodbyes. Kuroo was lucky enough that they went down the opposite end of the hall.</p><p>He knew that you were about to get in the shower and he had no choice but to wait now. He tried not to think about you in there. He’d never had the pleasure of “accidentally” walking in on you getting dressed throughout your childhood and when you were dating, he was always kind enough to give you privacy because you were self-conscious. He wondered if you looked and felt the same way you did in his dream.</p><p>The water cut off and you took some time to dry off before you stepped out. He could still see the lingering droplets drifting towards your chest. Kuroo pulled his eyes upwards. He didn’t want to make an ass out of himself.</p><p>“Hey. You got a minute?”</p><p>“Yeah, sure. What’s up?”</p><p>Kuroo reached across his chest and rubbed at his opposite shoulder. “I wanted to say sorry about yesterday. I know I went too far. Not only with you, but that kid, too. I’ll make it right with him in a little while, but I know you were pretty upset about it.”</p><p>You nodded. “I was. I guess I kind of freaked out because…well, you know how I feel about myself sometimes. I still have these negative thoughts and then hearing them come from you doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. But I’m not trying to put all the blame on you. You’re the kind of guy who has fun teasing people, and I do like that about you, so I should’ve just let it roll off my back.”</p><p>“Still, though. What I said wasn’t cool.”</p><p>“No, but…I know you didn’t <em>actually</em> tell him that about me. You just wanted to get under my skin. In any case, I appreciate you talking it out with me. I needed time to cool off, so thanks for giving me space.”</p><p>“No problem.” He stared at you for a moment and opened his mouth like he wanted to say something. You waited patiently. It never came. He changed his mind and let out a long exhale, a conflicted look passing over his face. It was a stark change from his usual nonchalance. “I forgot to tell you thanks for coming. I know you’ve got a lot on your mind and big plans. It means a lot that you want to support the team even if you’re not a part of it.”</p><p>You chuckled and reached over to pat his chest, your touch light and friendly. “You know I’d do anything for you.”</p><p>Kuroo walked alongside you back to the room and tried to hide the disappointment in his voice. “Yeah…you would, huh?”</p><p>The rest of the week was more of the same. Getting up early to make sure the boys were fed, watching them play for hours, cleaning up the gym, rinse and repeat. You found yourself in a rhythm of sorts. The other managers were nice and easy to talk to.</p><p>You were formally introduced to Karasuno by Nishinoya, who insisted that you meet everyone. You had a sneaking suspicion he was attempting to make them put in a good word for him, but most of them ended up mildly insulting him until he lost his cool and started roughhousing with them.</p><p>Kuroo wasn’t blind. He saw that you were branching out to other people, even if you were a little awkward and overwhelmed at times. Being overseas on your own had changed something in you. He wondered if he made enough of an improvement on himself, too. He wanted to prove to you that your insinuations were wrong, but he also knew that wouldn’t make you happy. It was a bitter pill to swallow.</p><p>“Hey, are you going to tell her how you feel, or what?” Yaku asked one night as they took the equipment down. “We’re leaving tomorrow.”</p><p>“Yeah, I changed my mind.” Kuroo smiled in your direction as he watched you leave the gym with Kaori and Yukie, the image of your laughter burned into his brain. “I think it’s best to stay friends for now. I don’t want to get in the way of her studying for college.”</p><p>Yaku sighed wearily. “Unbelievable. Both of you. If that’s the case, I don’t want to get any more late-night texts asking me for advice.”</p><p>“You won’t. Promise.”</p><p>Kuroo thought long and hard on the way home. He had big plans for the team. If you were going to sacrifice something so they had a chance at winning, then he wouldn’t let you down. He would put one hundred percent of his energy into helping every single member from now on. He would practice and practice until he was positive there was absolutely no chance he would miss out on nationals this year. He would prove to you that he had what it took to be a solid leader and bring his team to victory.</p><p>When volleyball was over, he would have another chance to confess. He wouldn’t waste that time mulling over it or feeling sorry for himself. Hell no. He would make the most out of what time he had left as team captain. He wanted to see that ecstatic expression you got every time he ran straight to you after a game.</p><p>A couple of nights after the camp was over, Kuroo sat down at his laptop and pulled up the Internet browser. He typed into the search bar and scrolled through the results carefully. He read through blocks and blocks of text before he pulled out his phone and typed a message out.</p><p>
  <em>Hey, Minoru. Your cousin goes to Keio, right? I’m thinking about applying there after I graduate. Do you think he’d have some time to talk with me about it?</em>
</p><p><em>Keio University? Really? That’s great!</em> Minoru responded, a trail of emojis following. <em>It’s a good school! He enjoys his classes a lot and the teachers are helpful. What are you thinking about studying there?</em></p><p>Kuroo scratched his head and decided to be honest. <em>Not too sure. But they’ve got a lot of undergraduate programs, so I figure I could find something that speaks to me. The acceptance rate is kinda low, so I was hoping maybe he’d have some resources for me.</em></p><p>Minoru said that he’d already lent several workbooks to you, as you'd asked months ago for studying material, but he was more than happy to approach his cousin about possible tutoring. <em>He said the entrance exam was a pain, but since he’s been through it, I’m sure he’d be happy to share some tips with you!</em></p><p>
  <em>That would be awesome. Thanks. And, uh...don't tell her about this, okay? I want to keep it under wraps for now, just in case I don't get in.</em>
</p><p>Kuroo plugged his phone in to charge and settled into bed, gazing over at the picture of you that still sat on his dresser. He closed his eyes and a ghost of a smile made its way onto his lips.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kuroo: -has a wet dream-<br/>Kuroo: It's a SIGN WE'RE MEANT TO BE TOGETHER!</p><p>I'm not going to apologize for that scene. It is what it is. 😎</p><p>Have a great week everyone! &lt;3</p>
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<a name="section0029"><h2>29. One Step Closer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Spring High is rapidly approaching and you're determined to see Kuroo get there.</p>
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    <p>“You think Kenma’s going to be okay? I’m a little worried he’s been overworking himself with all of the extra practices.” You walked past the shelves with the shopping basket tucked underneath your arm, scanning the numerous labels of over-the-counter meds that all promised the same thing. “I know he’s definitely gotten a lot stronger, but it’s still a huge change from last year.”</p><p>Kuroo kept his pace alongside you, unbothered by your statement. “His mom said he just needed a little bit of rest. He gets these twenty-four-hour bugs now and then.”</p><p>“All I’m saying is, he needs to know when to take a break. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad he’s fired up about the playoffs. I just hope that he doesn’t end up injuring himself.”</p><p>“You’re such a mom.”</p><p>“Says you. You’re the one who begged me to come with you.”</p><p>You did exaggerate, if only to annoy him. When you heard Kenma wasn’t going to class tomorrow because he was ill, you already made up your mind to bring over some of his favorite treats and medicines to make sure he would recover quickly. His parents never minded. They had to go to work and they’d be back home late, which meant you took it upon yourself to already plan his dinner.</p><p>“Anything goin’ on with the newspaper club?”</p><p>“Mm, not really. I mean, I’m pretty much tasked with keeping the kids in line. You know how it is. They pitch ideas to me and I decide whether it’s worth writing about. I help Mr. Dobashi edit things for them. One of the girls is covering the upcoming playoffs for the girls’ volleyball club.”</p><p>“Isn’t that a little awkward? Watanabe is their captain, isn’t she?”</p><p>“Yeah. I was surprised to find that out, trust me. But she’s been doing the interviews and gathering info by herself, so it’s not like I have to talk to Aiko herself. I honestly haven’t even seen her once since I came back. I just hear good things about her from time to time.”</p><p>You found your way into the bakery section of the grocery store. You breezed past the other flavors of pie and selected the one you knew Kenma would appreciate the most: apple. It went straight into the pile as Kuroo took the basket from you without a word. You didn’t even need to tell him that the added weight of the pie made it a little heavier than you would’ve liked.</p><p>It was nice spending time with Kuroo. He’d been pretty busy these past few months since school started back up and you didn’t get to see each other as often. You tried to stop by Nekoma as often as you could to watch the boys practice, though a lot of your time after school was taken up by your own club or exam prep for the university entrance exams. Kuroo had a lot going on. He said he picked up some extra tutoring to make sure he didn’t fall behind in his grades before graduation. You respected him a lot for that.</p><p>You did miss him, though. The few moments you had uninterrupted were usually shared with your other friends. Something as domestic as waltzing around the store with him meant a lot to you.</p><p>You still hadn’t said anything about your feelings for him because you were resolute in your decision to put your possible rekindled romance on hold. You did wonder if he picked up on it. He was so forward and flirtatious before. Now your conversations were teasing and affectionate, but there wasn’t that heart-pounding tension like before. Maybe he had finally gotten over you? It was a possibility. You’d been broken up for over a year now and he had every right to move on.</p><p>“I got this.” Kuroo took out his wallet before you could reach inside your bag. “What? Don’t give me that look.”</p><p>“Well, I feel kinda bad because I picked out stuff he doesn’t really <em>need</em>.” You were referring to the newest issue of his favorite gaming magazine that he (unfortunately) still had to buy in store. “But if you want to, then I can pay you back by making you dinner.”</p><p>“That was my plan all along,” he smirked. You unloaded the groceries on the conveyor belt and walked up to the cashier, engaged in comfortable silence.</p><p>Kuroo had the bag and insisted he carry it all the way to Kenma’s house. You didn’t have any room to argue. You stepped outside and took in a deep inhale of fresh, crisp air. It had gotten a little chilly these past few weeks, so sweaters and pants were more commonplace now. The wind picked up and nearly blew off a cute pink beanie that a kid in front of you was wearing, her matching boots squeaking as she stepped through a leftover puddle from last night’s rainfall.</p><p>The bus stop wasn’t too crowded. You stood with Kuroo until you felt a firm nudge in your side from him. You winced and made a move to glare at him, only for him to lean forward so he could whisper something in your ear.</p><p>“Hey, see that girl crying over there?”</p><p>You peeked over your shoulder. The girl in question was very pretty, with soft brown hair that fell across her shoulders. Her eyes were dewy with tears, the tip of her nose a bright red, and it was clear some of her mascara had gotten smeared from her subconsciously rubbing at her eyes. She was dressed in a school uniform you weren’t too familiar with.</p><p>“You should go talk to her,” Kuroo muttered. “She looks like she’s on the verge of a breakdown.”</p><p>“What? Why me?” you hissed back. “You’re the one who noticed her. Besides, what do I even say?”</p><p>“I don’t know. But she’s miserable. You’ve cheered up a lot of people.” He withdrew from you and cocked his head, imploring you to humor him. Ugh. He really was the worst.</p><p>As awkward as it was, you didn’t want to pretend that you didn’t see her, only because she kept staring at her phone and glancing around. Was she waiting for someone and got stood up? Did she need help because some jerk was harassing her? You gathered what little courage you had and decided to go for it.</p><p>You hesitated in front of her for a moment before clearing your throat. “Um, hi,” you began, the epitome of eloquence. “Are you okay?”</p><p>She jumped slightly from the sudden question. She looked like she was miles away in her own little world. “I-I’m fine, thanks,” she stammered.</p><p>“Are you sure?”</p><p>She stared at you for a few seconds. You wondered if she would snap and start yelling at you to mind your own business. Or if she would start sobbing even harder. Neither of those things happened. She appraised you and you found her staring at your uniform.</p><p>“You’re from Hanagasuku…do you…um…happen to know Fujiwara Umeko?”</p><p>Surprisingly, the name was familiar to you. “She’s in my homeroom, though we haven’t talked very much. I’m sorry, I don’t have her number.”</p><p>“No, that’s okay. I tried calling her, but she didn’t answer.” She sniffled and leaned against the wall of the building near the bus stop.</p><p>You opened up your backpack and handed her a fresh packet of tissues. Thank you, Yaku, for providing you with the basic necessities to show this girl a shred of kindness. She accepted them with a watery smile, bringing it to her eyes so she could wipe the muck off her face.</p><p>Wordlessly, you offered her a juice-box that sat in the bottom of your backpack. She took that too with a faint laugh, though her voice shook a bit when doing so.</p><p>“Do you happen to have a new boyfriend for me in there, too? I sure could use one.”</p><p>You decided to stand next to her so you weren’t in the way of oncoming pedestrians. She gazed ahead, unbothered at the looks that some people shot at her as they went by.</p><p>“I really like this guy,” she began, her voice trembling. “I thought he was the perfect boyfriend. I wanted to support him as best I could, like any good girlfriend would do. But it got so hard. We spent less time together doing things that couples do, like going out on dates. He was so busy with his club that I would have to chase him down just to get him to pay me any attention. I got so sick of it…so I ended things with him today.”</p><p>You were sympathetic to her situation. You knew what it felt like to long for someone, only for them to treat you as an afterthought.</p><p>“Do you regret it?”</p><p>“I don’t think so. I mean, not right now. I’m just angry.” She clenched the tissue tighter in her hands, a frown marring her delicate features. “We had a date scheduled and everything, but he backed out because he had yet another last-minute practice he just <em>happened</em> to forget about. And it wasn’t just a date. It was to celebrate six months together. Six months and I feel like I’ve only ever seen him a handful of times. It’s sad, what kind of relationship even <em>is</em> that?”</p><p>Her chest heaved. At least she got it out of her system. By now her tears had dried and all that was left was an unrestrained scowl that spoke volumes about how serious this situation was.</p><p>“I don’t know who this guy is, but he sounds lucky to have you.” You really hoped you didn’t overstep your bounds, especially considering how emotionally charged she already was. “I can tell you really care about him. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be so upset right now.”</p><p>She glanced at you from the corner of her eye and nodded.</p><p>“Being in a relationship with a guy who has a passion is a really hard thing.” You thought back to your own struggles with Kuroo. “When you’re in love, you want to be with that person as much of the time as you can. So it’s hurtful when not only can you <em>not</em> do that, but that it’s because they have something else that you feel like they’re treating as more important.</p><p>“I can’t tell you what to do since you know your relationship best, but I do want you to know that you have every right to be angry with him. Being treated as second-best sucks. It feels like you’re the only one in the relationship who’s really in love. You start to wonder if it’s a mistake to keep trying.</p><p>“I’m not going to like, sit here and rant about my own experiences. I can say this, though: when you fall in love with someone who’s passionate about something, it’s up to you to decide whether you want to support them. And supporting them means…well, sacrificing things. When someone has a passion, and a dream, that’s all they can see, and they’ll do anything to get there. If you can’t commit to it – which is totally fine if you can’t! – then you don’t. There’s nothing in it for you if you continue to torture yourself. Your personal happiness and well-being isn’t worth destroying for anyone.</p><p>“It can be kind of hard to understand because you don’t really <em>see</em> how much their dream means to them…until you <em>do</em>. If you love this person, and you are willing to wait and give them a hundred percent of your encouragement, you’ll see the spark that drives them on. And it’s worth it. When you watch them get closer to what they’ve been chasing for so long…and the happiness on their face…the excitement in their eyes…you realize it was worth sticking by them all along.”</p><p>You swallowed hard and realized you’d just poured your guts out to this total stranger. It didn’t help that you were supposed to be helping her, not giving a lecture about the secrets of love. You had no right to talk seeing as how you weren’t even together with the guy you were in love with.</p><p>She didn’t seem to mind. If anything, the air around her was much calmer than before.</p><p>“I know who you are now,” she said finally. “You’re Kuroo’s ex-girlfriend.”</p><p>“Huh? You know Kuroo?”</p><p>She nodded. “My school plays a lot against Nekoma. He and Suguru always end up fighting with each other at all of the practices and games, so it was kind of inevitable that I found out who he was. I thought they were friends at first, since Kuroo asked me for Suguru’s phone number and I texted it to him…and, well, they just harassed each other for like two days after that. Suguru mentioned you a few times, mostly when you and Kuroo broke up. I had to scold him so he would stop teasing Kuroo about it. You know…I saw Kuroo a little earlier and that’s why I came over here. I didn’t want to tell him I was crying over Suguru.”</p><p>You couldn’t believe it. That slimy jerk Daishou somehow managed to snag <em>her</em> heart? Seriously? You held your tongue. You would never forget the gross shit he pulled the last time you saw each other. You still had nightmares about him trying not once, but twice to steal a kiss from you. Either she was an angel on earth, or Daishou had a substantial personality change, because you couldn’t see it.</p><p>“But…thank you. Now that I know who you are and how you do know how it feels…I’m going to think about what you said.”</p><p>The bus rolled up and passengers began piling on. You had to leave so you could make sure Kenma got taken care of properly for the rest of the night.</p><p>“By the way, my name is Yamaka Mika. But you can just call me Mika. Everyone does.” She shot you a relieved smile. “I’ll be rooting for you, too.”</p><p>Kuroo gave you a look before he waited for you to climb aboard. As soon as you found a seat and were settled in, you punched him in the shoulder.</p><p>“Oww,” he groaned and held the spot like a wounded animal. What a baby. You didn’t even hit him that hard. “What was that for?”</p><p>“You knew exactly who she was! No wonder why you were so concerned!” you huffed. “Next time you see someone you know having a crisis, <em>you</em> talk to them.”</p><p>Kuroo grinned at you. He was miraculously cured of the immense pain he showed mere seconds before. “If Daishou found out I was the one who dried his girlfriend’s tears, he would’ve flayed me alive.”</p><p>“You could’ve warned me, at least.”</p><p>“Yeah, right. There’s no way you would’ve agreed if I did.”</p><p>He was right. It still irritated you. Still…even if Kuroo and Daishou got on each other’s nerves, it was sweet of Kuroo to look out for his significant other on his behalf. You doubted that Daishou would have done the same.</p><p>“Did Daishou really make fun of you when we broke up?”</p><p>Kuroo flinched. “I left you two alone for five minutes. Since when did you have time to talk about that?”</p><p>“We talked about a lot of things. I told her boys obsessed with volleyball are dumb and that she should date a basketball player, instead.”</p><p>“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”</p><p>You shot him a malicious smile, knowing full well he would get back at you for this later. “Haven’t you seen been to one of their games and seen how many points they can wrack up? They know how to score.”</p><p>Kuroo narrowed his eyes at you as you busted into laughter.</p><p>You spent the rest of the trip to Kenma’s house in comfortable silence. You were still mulling over your words to Mika and wondered if you helped at all. Even if you didn’t quite understand her relationship, she obviously saw something in Daishou that you hadn’t before. It would’ve been a dick move to use her breakup as a way to turn her against him. You were a little more unbiased in what you said since you had no clue who her boyfriend was. It was better that way.</p><p>You used your spare key to enter the Kozume household, something that had been made for you and Kuroo years ago. The living room was dead silent and had been tidied up in preparation for your arrival. From your spot near the doorway, you could hear the muffled sound effects of a familiar video game coming from the direction of Kenma’s room. You both kicked off your shoes and made your way to check on the boy in question.</p><p>You knocked and opened the door just in time for Kenma to sit up in bed. He tried to hide the controller under his pillow, but Kuroo made a beeline for it and removed it from his reach.</p><p>“Dude, you should be resting, not straining your eyes.” He purposefully walked over to the top shelf nearby and placed it where Kenma would have to struggle to get it back.</p><p>You chuckled and sat down on the edge of the mattress as the plastic bag crinkled with every snack that escaped its confines. Kenma looked more and more intimidated with each object you took out and deposited on the bed. You couldn’t help it! There were so many things on sale that looked good, plus this would keep him in bed where he belonged for a faster recovery.</p><p>You took the rest of what was in the bag, stood up, and headed for the doorway. “I’m going to start on dinner. Tetsurou, chop veggies for me.”</p><p>He groaned, but still pulled himself off the chair anyway. “Yes, <em>dear</em>.”</p><p>You worked in tandem to make some soup for Kenma’s dinner. It was loaded with protein and vegetables. He didn’t eat enough as it was and he needed to get his strength back up. You stirred the pot occasionally as Kuroo watched. His eyes were a little glassy and faraway.</p><p>“Are you getting sick too?” You paused what you were doing and rested your hand on his forehead without any warning.</p><p>“Hey,” he chuckled, brushing it away. “I’m fine. Just tired.”</p><p>“You’ve been working hard too. Don’t think I don’t see it.” You grabbed the bowls from the cabinet and used the ladle to dish out a good portion of soup. The steam wafted toward the ceiling and its savory smell caused your mouth to water. “You need to take care of yourself just as much as he does. If you need help studying, I can step in.”</p><p>You realized he hadn’t said anything, and when you glanced over at him, there was this soft, fond look on his face.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Nothing.” He grabbed the bowl off the counter. “I’ll bring this to Kenma.”</p><p>You weren’t sure what was going on with him and hesitated to ask. He tended to shy away whenever you tried. You didn’t want to keep grilling him if he wasn’t comfortable sharing it. Even if you were best friends, he deserved privacy.</p><p>You headed back for Kenma’s room, only to find that Kuroo was trying to spoon-feed Kenma - with airplane noises and all. Kenma looked like he wanted to slap that spoon right out of his hands. He knew if he did that, he’d seem like a fussy kid and Kuroo would tease him even harder.</p><p>After setting down the two bowls for you and Kuroo to dig into, you reached over to pluck the spoon from Kuroo’s hands and gave it to Kenma. Finally, his torture would end.</p><p>“I made enough soup for leftovers tomorrow.” You handed Kuroo his bowl and settled into the gaming chair. “Are you guys watching highlight clips from the Miyagi representative qualifiers?”</p><p>Kenma nodded. “Looks like Karasuno is going to Spring High this year.”</p><p>“What a far cry from training camp when they got their butts kicked.” You marveled at the images on TV and one particular person caught your eye. “Hey, it’s that setter from Aoba Johsai. I keep forgetting his name.”</p><p>Kuroo laughed into his soup and sprayed it upwards onto you. You let out a cry of disgust before he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Yeah, we know. You said it to his face.”</p><p>“You did?” Kenma furrowed his brows. “When you went to watch one of the games?”</p><p>“Dude, we didn’t tell you?” Kuroo looked like he was about to engage in the most epic storytelling of them all. He was so dramatic. “Oh man, it was hilarious. I’ve never seen a dude’s ego get destroyed in less than one second before.”</p><p>You thought back to a few weeks ago. One of Minoru’s students was competing in a martial arts tournament and begged him to go. He invited you along with him. Since you’d been visiting the dojo for those self-defense lessons he kept going on about, you’d gotten to know the kids in his classes, and they all pretty much flocked to you for some reason. You weren’t about to say no, especially when the kid herself asked if Minoru would take you to see her compete.</p><p>Of course, once Kuroo got wind that you and Minoru would be out on a day trip together, he somehow managed to invite himself along. Kenma wasn’t able to go because he had plans with his parents that weekend. Minoru didn’t seem to mind, because he was an angel and thought the more the merrier.</p><p>You knew that the Miyagi qualifiers were going on, and you had some time to kill before Minoru’s student had to compete at a nearby facility, so you decided to watch a match. You walked through the gym and were astounded with the energy inside. It was filled with students, coaches, news reporters, volleyball players and their families.</p><p>You were a little overwhelmed with the crowd, so you looked around for the nearest bathroom to take a breather. You did let Kuroo and Minoru know you would be right back and they agreed to wait for you in the main hall.</p><p>Anxiety was so dumb. There was no rhyme or reason to it. You were with friends in a place where no one knew who you were, but it still made your stomach hurt. You took refuge in the stall toward the back of the bathrooms, shutting the door behind you and grabbing your phone to distract you from the slew of noises and voices outside.</p><p>You exited the bathroom after cooling off. You were in such a rush to get back to Kuroo and Minoru that you rammed right into someone. You stumbled backwards and gasped while you managed to keep your footing. The guy who you bumped into hadn’t moved at all, his muscular frame rooted to the spot despite your clumsiness. He merely glanced over his shoulder to scowl at you and that was when you realized who he was.</p><p>You distinctly remembered him playing in that game that was broadcasted on TV months and months ago. “I’m so sorry!”</p><p>The irritation on his face melted in an instant. “Uh, that’s okay,” he muttered. His expression was a far cry from the one he let show a few seconds earlier. “Are you hurt?”</p><p>“I’m fine. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”</p><p>“Hmm? Who’s this?” The Aoba Johsai team member came up behind Iwaizumi and had on an airy smile that you didn’t fully trust. “I didn’t know you managed to make friends with a girl.” His eyes glimmered with mischief.</p><p>“I don’t know who she is,” Iwaizumi snapped at him. “She just ran into me.”</p><p>“That’s so rude, Iwa! Shouldn’t you introduce yourself properly?”</p><p>Iwaizumi was clearly embarrassed at his teammate making fun of him and brushed him off angrily. You felt bad for him. You didn’t mean to make this a big thing. You wanted to escape this situation and not cause any more trouble for him.</p><p>“Excuse me…? Iwaizumi?”</p><p>He turned toward you and his face was slightly red. Was he bothered that you knew his name and were addressing him so familiarly? “Yeah?”</p><p>“I just wanted to tell you, I think you’re an awesome player,” you blurted. “I saw you on TV last year when I was overseas, and your spikes were incredible. All of my friends here are involved in volleyball in some way, so watching you play was a good way to distract myself from feeling too homesick.”</p><p>“Ooh, you hear that?” His friend chuckled and slapped a hand on his shoulder. “I think you finally have your own fan. I’m so jealous.”</p><p>Iwaizumi glanced at you and a flash of hurt flitted along his eyes, like something clicked for him. He broke eye contact with you and looked down. “Look,” he began, his shoulders slumping, “you don’t have to chat me up if he’s who you really want to talk to.”</p><p>You had no idea what was going on and shot him a confused look. As you tried to make sense of what he meant by that, Kuroo and Minoru crossed the room to check up on you. Maybe they were worried you’d gotten into some kind of trouble.</p><p>“You good?” Kuroo’s tone was casual, but he was ready to step in if need be. He probably felt a little tougher since Minoru was around. You nodded so they would back down. No sense in getting them worked up over nothing. “Those uniforms…they’re from Aoba Johsai, right?”</p><p>“Yes. That’s Iwaizumi Hajime and…um…sorry, but I don’t know who you are.” You stared straight at the guy who flanked the ace. “Sorry.”</p><p>You had no idea that your words would have so much of an impact. For a moment, the atmosphere between all of you flipped. The guy, who moments before was so carefree and teasing, had this look on his face like you struck him across the face. No one knew what to say.</p><p>That was, until Iwaizumi started laughing.</p><p>“It’s not funny!” the guy cried. “I’m sure you just don’t recognize me. I’m the captain of the team. My name is Oikawa Tooru.”</p><p>“Uh…okay…” You honestly had no idea why he felt like dropping his name was supposed to leave a huge impact on you. “Nice to meet you.”</p><p>“You still don’t know who I am?” Underneath his cheery exterior, you could have sworn there was a deep-seated frustration itching to burst free. “They call me The Grand King! I tend to do a lot of the interviews with the reporters and I’ve been featured in a few magazines. I’m the amazing setter who always makes sure Iwa gets those spikes you were rambling about.”</p><p>You were flustered with his expectant look, only because truth be told, none of what he said made any difference to you.</p><p>“Ahh…” Thank god, Kuroo decided to save you. Your relief was soon short lived, because that familiar, roguish smile stretched out from ear to ear. “I remember now. You watched them on TV. You thought the ace was cute.” Kuroo wasn’t finished yet. He still had to find another way to drive the final nail of embarrassment into your proverbial coffin. “You said you weren’t interested in the setter because you didn’t have time to…what was the phrase? Oh yeah. ’Babysit a grown man’s ego’.”</p><p>DAMN YOU, KUROO!!!</p><p>You and Iwaizumi locked eyes with each other. NO!!! He was blushing and dumbstruck! WHY?! He reached up to rub the back of his neck and you were painfully aware of how <em>good</em> his arms looked when he did that. He was oblivious. Hot and oblivious. The worst combination possible.</p><p>When you managed to stop outright ogling the guy in front of you, you angled your body towards Kuroo. Your pace rivaled a predator patiently stalking its unsuspecting prey. You were positive the entire stadium dropped about fifty degrees from the iciness to your stare. You would murder him and then turn heel, strut out to the grass outside the gym, dig a hole up, and make it your shared grave. What made it more infuriating was that the hotter your face got, the wider his grin grew. He didn’t even flinch.</p><p>All traces of disappointment in Iwaizumi’s gaze were gone. Oikawa’s face was mottled and unflattering in every sense of the word. He was mortified and, well…pissed, too. He probably wasn’t used to people not kissing his ass. You didn’t see the appeal.</p><p>You sucked in a breath and grabbed Kuroo’s wrist. “Sooo…it was nice to meet you both. Good luck with your matches today, Iwaizumi and…” Your mind blanked out even though the guy literally just gave you the rundown. “Uh…captain?”</p><p>Kuroo let you drag him down the hallway. He was too busy laughing over the entire situation and ignoring Minoru’s gentle scolding for airing out your dirty laundry.</p><p>The tips of your ears burned, even more so when you glanced back and saw Oikawa grab Iwaizumi by the collar. He shook his friend around like a ragdoll while the ace had this vibrant, triumphant smile on his face. God, volleyball guys were weirdos.</p><p>By the end of the story, you were surprised to see that Kenma managed to finish his soup. He set the bowl aside and his eyelids drooped. He must have been hanging on by a thread when you stopped by. You didn’t want to keep him up any longer than you needed to.</p><p>Kenma was amused by what happened, even if he didn’t have the energy to show it. “Kuroo was jealous you were talking to some other guy. He embarrassed you so you’d leave him alone,” he said matter-of-factly. He reclined back into his mountain of pillows. “That’s funny.”</p><p>“What? That’s what you got out of it?” Kuroo grumbled, grabbing his empty dish and standing up. “Not cool.”</p><p>“Your fault for trying to embarrass me. It came back to bite you in the ass.” You tossed a nearby pillow at his backside for emphasis. “If Aoba Johsai forms some kind of grudge against us because you threw off their groove and it led to them losing their match, I’m taking Minoru and Bokuto as my bodyguards. You can suck it.”</p><p>Since Kuroo was distracted, you found the controller he hid away and took it down so Kenma could put it back under his pillow. You both shared the silent agreement that he wouldn’t use it until at least tomorrow morning. You lowered the volume on the TV and stood up to stretch.</p><p>“Thanks for coming over,” Kenma yawned, rolling on his side so he could doze off. “I like seeing you two together. S’how it should be.”</p><p>“You’re so honest when you’re sick and sleepy.” You pretended not to be flustered by his comment. “Goodnight, Kenma. If you need anything, let us know.”</p><p>Neither of you said anything when you exited the house. You had to go one way, Kuroo had to go the other. That’s just how it was for now.</p><p>“You’re coming to the Tokyo rep qualifiers, right?”</p><p>“Do you really have to ask? It’s on my calendar, I promise I won’t forget.”</p><p>“Cool. You know, I can walk you home—”</p><p>“It’s okay. You look like you’re about to pass out. I’ll be fine, it’s less than five minutes.” You weren’t sure why he was hesitating so much. You almost asked him if he wanted to spend the night, but you bit your tongue. There was no way that was happening. Having him in the next room was inviting complications.</p><p>“Yeah, you’re right. Just text me when you get there.”</p><p>You felt his eyes on your back the entire time you headed down the sidewalk, the feeling only disappearing when you were completely out of view.</p><p>The day of the representative play-offs approached more quickly than you would have liked. Grueling practices were a thing of the past and there was no more room for error. The team’s mettle, shaped by their increased efforts to improve, would finally be put to the test. The air was ripe with determination, the spirit of competition and sheer confidence in a future win.</p><p>You got off the bus to approach Sumida City Gymnasium. The building towered over the sizable crowd, swallowing up the sun and encouraging wayward passersby to step through its doors. All your friends were already prepping for their games inside. No doubt they were loosening their nerves by warm-up exercises, playful banter and encouragement from the upperclassmen and coaches.</p><p>“Are you excited?” Minoru asked as he fell in line next to you. “I am! I can’t believe our friends are facing off against each other for their first game.”</p><p>“I think it was bound to happen. Tetsurou and Kou willed it somehow.” You chuckled. “Thanks for coming with me. Everyone else is going to be on the court, and they left way too early for me to function so I could go with.”</p><p>Minoru beamed at you and said it was no problem. His attitude was overwhelmingly positive and he was honestly the best person to attend a game with. You sometimes felt a little silly getting worked up and cheering. He was loud enough for the both of you, and he attracted so much attention that your antics were tame in comparison.</p><p>“It’s going to be fun cheering for both teams!” he exclaimed.</p><p>He realized you were about to cut through a massive crowd of people loitering near the entrance. He reached out to take your hand so he could lead you through. No one protested when this hulking man cheerily said, “excuse me”. You didn’t mind it so much. Minoru didn’t have any ulterior motives in doing so.</p><p>As much as you loved Bokuto, you were rooting for Nekoma. You didn’t tell him that, though, it would’ve crushed him. You would do your best to keep an eye on both teams and make sure to motivate your friends when you could.</p><p>You and Minoru found the perfect spot amongst the crowd. You were hyped up for the match. All around you could see spectators from all ages who felt the same way you did. You spotted each of your friends on the court and broke into a smile. This was what they had been working so hard for. They got this far and there was no turning back.</p><p>Bokuto was in rare form today…at first. He was eager to show off in front of the crowd of fellow students who came to cheer him on. He thrived on the attention and it was easy to see how much they inspired him. You watched his powerful form leap upwards as he spiked ball after ball. Even with every heavy land, he was clearly in his element, his graceful form going into another powerful strike.</p><p>Nekoma was on the defensive, as well they should be. Kenma knew Bokuto’s weaknesses and he would exploit them if need be. Yaku saved multiple spikes that threatened to land near him. The middle blockers jumped in unison and effectively ended any chance for the ball to make an easy point. Kuroo was no doubt overwhelmed with Bokuto’s constant spikes, but that made way for him to drink in Bokuto’s sheer frustration when another point was taken from him.</p><p>They broke through the twenty-point mark on both sides. You were on the edge of your seat. Within the last leg of the game, Fukurodani pulled through and secured their victory. Even though you knew you should have been happy for Bokuto, Akaashi, Kaori and Yukie, your eyes immediately drifted to Kuroo.</p><p>At the summer training camp, Fukurodani and Nekoma faced off several times. Fukurodani was the victor for most of those games. It was apparent that in an official match, it wouldn’t be easy getting them down for the count.</p><p>And it wasn’t.</p><p>Because the second set ended in Fukurodani’s favor. Even going past twenty-five points made no difference. Fukurodani triumphed and Nekoma was forced to step out of the spotlight.</p><p>“That was a great game,” Minoru grinned. “We should go congratulate them!”</p><p>You followed him so you could say your brief hellos, though you hung back for a reason. You knew that Nekoma’s loss didn’t put them out of the running just yet. If they managed to beat the next team they were up against, it meant that they would be going to nationals. It still stung to see them lose.</p><p>“There she is! We were wondering where you were.” Inuoka excitedly bounded over to you and gestured to the rest of the team. “What did you think?”</p><p>“I’m really proud of all you guys,” you told them with as much sincerity as you could. “Fukurodani isn’t an easy opponent and you held your own. No one can say that you don’t deserve to be here.”</p><p>“We’ll win the next game for sure!”</p><p>While they were distracted, you managed to get Kuroo alone for a moment. “Are you okay?” you blurted. “I know Kou can be…well, a lot.”</p><p>He chuckled, no doubt amused at your worrisome expression. “I was nervous as hell. But we gave it a shot. That guy is a freak of nature, I really think he shouldn’t be allowed on the court in the first place.”</p><p>“Oh, stop. I really thought when he went into emo mode that you guys would be able to take the set. It is funny seeing him get like that sometimes. I say that because I don’t have to deal with it like the rest of them do.”</p><p>One of his sleeves had rolled up from his constant motion. You reached over and unfurled it, smoothing down the jersey and admiring the stark red against his dark hair and eyes. You hadn’t noticed that your palm lingered on his bicep until it flexed under your touch. You pulled your hand back in an instant.</p><p>“Red’s a good color on you,” was all you could say in defense of your actions. You stepped backwards. “Good luck with your next game. I’ll be watching.”</p><p>“You’d better.” He shot you a knowing grin.</p><p>You didn’t get very far before Bokuto managed to track you down. He was still thrumming with adrenaline from the earlier game. “Did you see me?! Wasn’t I so cool?”</p><p>“Yes, Kou. The coolest.” You laughed and reached over to pat him on the head. You immediately regretted that, as his hair was soaked with sweat. “Don’t show any mercy to the next team.”</p><p>When his back was turned so he could brag more to his other teammates, you managed to usher in all three of his handlers.</p><p>“Good work out there, guys. Keiji, I admire your quick decision making to get him back on track. Kaori, Yukie…uh…godspeed.”</p><p>You all shared a laugh together, even as exasperated as Akaashi was.</p><p>The results of the next match came in, and as soon as you saw the team Nekoma would be up against, your heart sank. Nohebi. Of all the–! UGH! You somehow forgot they were even here. How did they get this far by blatantly cheating? Their antics in the last match you watched were still burned into your mind.</p><p>“Is something wrong?” Minoru asked as you took a quick bathroom break. “You seem a lot more tense since the results were announced.”</p><p>“Nohebi has played against Nekoma before, and it was a less than pleasant experience. They pretty much tried to cheat the entire time. Plus one of their players decided to harass me to get under Tetsurou’s skin, in the hopes that he would slip up.”</p><p>Minoru looked shocked at the information. “That’s horrible! Why would a team be allowed to continue competing? There’s no reason for unsportsmanlike behavior.”</p><p>“They suck up to the referees and such. It’s like a mind game to them.”</p><p>You were about to go back into the gym when you realized that Mika lingered near the entrance. She had her hands clasped together. She stood out even among the crowd that passed by her. She looked conflicted. You let Minoru know that you wanted to check on her and even though he did go with you, he lingered a little further back so you could have your privacy.</p><p>“Mika?” You called out to her. “Are you okay?”</p><p>“Ah…” Her eyes lit up when she recognized you, but then that excitement soon faded. “I…I don’t know what I’m doing here.”</p><p>“You came to watch Daishou play, didn’t you?”</p><p>Her silence explained everything. If she came all this way, then there was still something there. You decided to give her the push she needed, only because she reminded you so much of yourself. Well, aside from dating a literal demon, of course.</p><p>“I think you should watch the match in full. You’re not here as Daishou’s girlfriend. You’re just another person in the crowd watching one of the top four schools play for the chance to go to nationals. Right? It’s a good chance to see if you can catch that ‘spark’ I was talking about. And if you don’t, well…at least you’ll have your answer.”</p><p>She swallowed hard and nodded. You were proud of her for coming, even if it might have been painful. She was clearly in love with Daishou. She wanted things to work. She came to the match, half out of curiosity and half out of wanting to support him even if they weren’t together. It was a hard thing to do.</p><p>With that being said, you went your separate ways. You and Minoru settled in as the Nekoma vs. Nohebi match began.</p><p>You weren’t surprised when you saw Nohebi’s tactics. It was laughable considering their school banner read, “Fair and Square.” What a load of shit. You would recognize Daishou anywhere. He got taller and filled out, but his signature foxlike smirk was still slapped on his face at any given moment. You found yourself clenching your hands into fists whenever he made his move on the court.</p><p>You went numb when Yaku injured himself and was subbed out. You could see the sheer devastation in his eyes, even from all the way in the crowd. You struggled to hold back the tears that threatened to spill down your cheeks. You didn’t want him glancing in your direction by some bad stroke of luck and then realize you were disappointed, too.</p><p>No matter how underhanded Nohebi was, they couldn’t stand up to the force of Nekoma’s teamwork and superior strategy. When Nekoma grabbed that win, you were ecstatic. You cheered for your friends as Minoru joined you. You caused a ruckus in the stands and egged on the rest of the spectators to join you.</p><p>“Let’s go! We have to celebrate!” Minoru cried.</p><p>You would have to find the Fukurodani members later, because right now, all you wanted to do was check on the team. Yaku wasn’t able to walk and needed help from his teammates to leave the gym. You caught sight of Kenma first and ran over to him with an unabashed grin.</p><p>“Kenma! Congrats!”</p><p>He looked exhausted and a weak smile crossed his face. “Thank you. I’m so glad we won.”</p><p>“You were incredible. All of you guys were, but you once again totally set Nekoma up for that win.” You couldn’t contain yourself and wrapped him up in a hug. His hands went on your back as he held you loosely, his face buried in the crook of your neck. You pulled back and put both hands on his shoulders. “You know what this means, right? There’s a huge chance that you’ll be able to play against Karasuno, just like you wanted!”</p><p>Coach Nekomata couldn’t have been happier for his boys. It warmed your heart to see that bright smile on his face as he praised them. He’d worked hard in shaping the team and playing on their skills. It showed.</p><p>You managed to find Yaku and saw that Kuroo was with him. You needed to talk with the libero before addressing the latter. He was relieved with the win. You could tell he was upset that he injured himself, but the victory made that pain a little more bearable.</p><p>“I’m so proud of you, Yakkun!” You dropped down to his level so you could embrace him, too. He was used to this kind of thing. It brought you back to your days in junior high school when you would cheer him on at his games. “How’s your foot? Do you need any painkillers? I always keep some in my purse…because well, you put them there.”</p><p>He shook his head. “I’m okay. We’re keeping it iced and elevated. It’s just a sprain.”</p><p>“Trust Yakkun to take a vacation on us when nationals are right around the corner,” Kuroo joked. “We told him we’d pick up the slack in the meantime.”</p><p>“You’d better not push yourself. You of all people know how sprains are, they’re finicky. Remember that time I sprained my ankle? It took months and physical therapy exercises to get it somewhat back to normal.”</p><p>“Way to reassure him.”</p><p>You shot Kuroo a glare. “I’m just trying to remind him that this is a serious injury, and that he needs to take time to recover before throwing himself back into the game. I’m positive you’ll be a hundred percent before Spring High.”</p><p>After making absolutely sure Yaku was okay, you stood up and addressed the rest of the team. You couldn’t resist in boosting their egos. They were still riding on their high and you didn’t see a problem in letting them. Lev made such huge strides and you made sure to let him know that, though you did stress he had a long way to go if he ever wanted to reach Yamamoto’s level.</p><p>The only person left for you to speak with was Kuroo. You didn’t want to interrupt. He was their captain and they all wanted to make him proud. You let them monopolize his attention for the time being, only because this was a perfect chance for them to cement their trust in each other.</p><p>You stepped back to get some fresh air. The room had gotten a little stuffy, considering there were a huge crowd of guys who were sweating their asses off crammed there. As enticing as it sounded being swallowed up by a cloud of body odor, you had other priorities.</p><p>You couldn’t wipe the smile from your face when you went into the main hall of the gym. After so many months of giving Kuroo the space he needed to focus on volleyball, he reached his goal. Now there was one more competition left in the year and you would do anything to make sure he graduated with no regrets.</p><p>You heard your name being called and saw Mika walk towards you. She was radiant. It didn’t take you very long to realize that this was the look of a woman in love.</p><p>“Congratulations on your win,” she told you seriously. “You deserve to go to nationals.”</p><p>“Thanks, Mika. So…I’m guessing you found what you were looking for?”</p><p>Her cheeks went pink. She was content. “I did. I wanted to thank you. You really helped me see Suguru for who he was. I know that it’s going to be hard because volleyball is his life, but I want to share it with him. I don’t know too much about it. But after seeing him play, I want to learn.”</p><p>“That’s great!” You meant it. “I really wish you guys the best. I’m counting on you to soften him up. He needs it.”</p><p>“That reminds me…” She trailed off and glanced behind her. You saw Daishou hanging back and you couldn’t hide the sour expression that wormed its way back onto your face. “I told him about you helping me. Not everything, but he wanted to talk with you. I promise he’ll be civil.”</p><p>You sighed. “Okay, that’s fine.”</p><p>This was truly the worst. She stepped back and Daishou approached you. He looked calmer now that the game was over. The nastiness that he exuded had long since faded. He’d been humbled. Good.</p><p>“Mika told me about what you did,” he muttered. “So…thanks.”</p><p>“It’s no big deal. She’s the one who came her own conclusions. I just put things into perspective.” It was tense between you. “Daishou, you played a fantastic game today. Thank you for giving it your all. You didn’t let up on Nekoma and that means a lot.”</p><p>He gave you the once-over. “What’s with you?” he finally asked. “The last time we saw each other, things didn’t go well. Why help Mika?”</p><p>You snorted. “Don’t get a big head about it, dude. I had no idea who she was or that you were her boyfriend. Count yourself lucky, because if I <em>had</em> known, I would’ve told her to dump the creep who likes to harass girls just to trip up their boyfriends and win a game.”</p><p>He smirked at your confession. That was the expression you were more familiar with. “You thought I was hitting on you so I would piss Kuroo off?”</p><p>“Didn’t you?”</p><p>Daishou actually laughed. “I had no idea who you were until he came running over. That only made me want you more. I tried to kiss you because I thought you were cute.”</p><p>You were flabbergasted. “You’re such a liar.”</p><p>“Why would I lie about that? It’s been years. Besides, Mika asked me to set things straight. She knew I hurt your feelings somehow.” His teasing tone diminished when he locked eyes with her and his usual haughtiness was replaced with utmost affection. It was clear he took their relationship seriously. Given how hard he melted for her, you were now dubbing her the Snake Charmer. “It was a win-win when I realized you were Kuroo’s girlfriend, but that wasn’t the reason why I came on so strong. And that’s why I told him I was going to win the match, get that kiss from you, and make you fall for me.”</p><p>“What?” you stammered. “Since when did you tell him that?!”</p><p>“On the court.” He looked pleased with himself. “I also said some other things, but it’s probably better you don’t know.”</p><p>“You’re disgusting.” You were embarrassed as hell with his confession and of course your first instinct was to lash out at him. “And don’t think just because Mika and I are friends that you and I are going to be buddy-buddy. Especially not after telling that to me. That’s so creepy.”</p><p>He only snickered in response. You resisted the urge to push him into the nearby crowd of tough-looking guys that passed him by. You could imagine them starting a fight because of it and then his pretty face would get pummeled in. But seeing Mika wait for you expectantly, you knew you couldn’t do that to her.</p><p>“Shake my hand and make it look convincing,” he whispered sharply. "It'll make her happy."</p><p>“Fine, but don’t hold it like you did last time.”</p><p>“You remembered? That’s cute.”</p><p>You reached out and gripped it hard enough for him to wince. He hadn’t been expecting that. A cruel smile wormed its way on your face, and you leaned closer so Mika couldn’t see your expression. “And if you ever break Mika’s heart like that again, believe me when I say that you’ll wish we never met.”</p><p>You stepped back from him and waved at Mika, who returned the gesture. Daishou shook his hand out to alleviate some of the pain. He looked like he was somewhere between horrified and turned on. Ugh. You turned heel and widened the gap between you, sincerely hoping that he would take what you said seriously.</p><p>After comforting Bokuto for a good while after his loss to Itachiyama and promising him that he was still your favorite ace, you said your goodbyes to Fukurodani. Coach Nekomata and Naoi told the team they would take them out to eat for their victory. They insisted you go along with them. Minoru came too, mostly because he was adamant in escorting you as he promised earlier.</p><p>The atmosphere inside the restaurant was comforting. The heaps of food, lively conversation, warm lights, and boisterous laughter made you feel right at home. You kept mostly to yourself, only because the guys were recalling moments on the court and teasing each other. You didn’t want to interrupt them.</p><p>“How’s your studying coming along?” Coach Nekomata asked you as he took a sip from his tall glass of water. “Kuroo said you were hard at work for your entrance exams.”</p><p>You continued to flip through the menu, undecided on what you should order for dessert. “Yeah. It’s going great. I’m feeling confident. I have a couple more months to go. Actually, the week after Spring High is when the entrance exam takes place. It’ll be nice to get it over with.”</p><p>“I’m gonna miss you so much!” Inuoka cried, ever the drama king. “The club won’t be the same without you!”</p><p>“Yeah, who’s gonna keep Tora in line? He always calms down when you’re there!”</p><p>Yamamoto went red in the face. “Y-you bastard…!”</p><p>You were amused by their honesty. It felt nice to be close to the team that Kuroo spent so much time with. It was a far cry from the atmosphere a few years ago. “I’m sure you guys will do great. I’ll do my best to keep in touch. I’m expecting to hear that all of you end up going to Spring High three years in a row.”</p><p>“What about you, Kuroo?” Yaku asked from across the table. His eyes were on his emptying plate as he grabbed one of the roasted vegetables with his chopsticks. “Aren’t you studying for K—OWWW!”</p><p>“Yaku? What happened?”</p><p>“Is your foot hurting? Do we need some more ice?” One of the guys went to flag down the waitress to see if she could bring a cup of it.</p><p>You frowned at Kuroo. He was shooting Yaku a malicious smile and his eyes were screaming for blood. Yaku stammered out an apology for overreacting and his excuse was that he bumped his foot on the leg of the table by accident. You weren’t sure what the deal was.</p><p>After dinner, the team lingered outside so they could say their goodbyes. You took this opportunity to finally pull Kuroo aside. You rounded the corner of the building into a small alley so you could have some privacy. In the darkness, illuminated only by the distant shimmer of the restaurant’s sign, you searched his face as you spoke what was on your mind.</p><p>“What’s going on between you and Yaku?”</p><p>He played dumb. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“I don’t know, but what I do know is that you kicked him under the table before he could ask you his question.”</p><p>Kuroo sighed and he reached up to run a hand through his hair. “I told him something in confidence and he almost spilled it.”</p><p>“Ah, okay.” You weren’t going to grill him about it, even if you were curious about what it was. “Well, whatever it is, please don’t make his injury worse. Next time, please at least aim for his shins.”</p><p>“Got it.” He crossed his arms and his chest rumbled with laughter. “I saw you talking with Daishou earlier. Did he do anything to you?”</p><p>“Aside from telling me that his dumb lizard brain thought it was a good idea to harass me because he liked me, no.” You didn’t miss the way Kuroo’s expression went flat. “Mika came to watch him play and I gave her some friendly advice. So they got back together. That was really it. I may have threatened him into treating her right.”</p><p>You leaned against the wall together and your bodies were only separated by your thin layers of clothing. It felt nice to have his familiar warmth so close to you, especially on a night as chilly as this. You stared across the way at the opposing wall and didn’t say anything at first. You halfway listened to the continued cheers and laughter from his team, who hadn’t even noticed you slipped away yet.</p><p>“I know I didn’t get to tell you earlier, but I’m so happy for you.” You reached down and gripped his hand so you could give him a reassuring squeeze. It was warm even out here. The callouses scattered across his palm spoke volumes about his dedication to the sport. “Spring High was something you’ve worked so hard for. I knew you guys could do it, but it’s different when you’ve got an official spot secured. I know you’ll have to train even harder for the upcoming competition. If you ever need anything from me, I’ll do what I can to support you.”</p><p>You went to retrieve your hand, but Kuroo refused to let go. “Just a little longer,” was all he said. You didn’t catch his double meaning.</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>You laced your fingers together as the clouds parted overhead, bathing you both in the romantic glow of the moonlight.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I love Iwaizumi and find it a shame that so many people only tend to care about him in one specific context. As such, Reader gets to boost his ego a little bit. He deserves it.</p><p>High school is coming to a close and I do have plans for what happens afterwards. Hopefully y'all aren't TOO bored right now since Kuroo and Reader aren't an official item.</p><p>Have a great week!</p>
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<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Yours, Mine, Ours</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You and Kuroo prepare for your future after high school.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Aren’t you bored just sitting there watching?”</p><p>You sat against the vibrant cherry blossom tree, shaking your head as a few stray petals were whipped away by the spring breeze. “No. I like watching you play.”</p><p>“But it’s more fun to play, not watch,” Kuroo retorted. He tossed the ball up and down for emphasis. You had to admit, you were impressed by his show of dexterity as he managed to catch it so effortlessly. “You won’t get any better if you don’t practice.”</p><p>You shrugged at him. “I don’t really like playing, and not just ‘cuz I suck. But you're good at it <i>and</i> you make it look cool. Before we met, I thought all sports were super boring.”</p><p>He looked more than pleased with himself. The ball went up into the air and fell towards his waiting figure. His arms were stretched out and poised in the perfect position to receive it, the slap of leather against his forearms resounding in the otherwise peaceful park.</p><p>Kenma sat on the opposite side of the court from you, trying to cool down with a giant bottle of iced water that he packed for himself in preparation for their playtime.</p><p>“Why do you like volleyball so much?” You asked the question that had been weighing on your mind recently. “It’s all you ever want to do.”</p><p>“It’s fun.” He didn’t have a better explanation on hand. “That’s like asking you why you like to write so much.”</p><p>You stared down at the open notebook in your lap. The margins were filled with doodles as your hastily written story took shape upon the pages. “I guess I never thought about it like that. But Kuroo, you don’t have to worry about me getting bored. I really like watching you. I can’t wait to see a real life game.”</p><p>Kuroo glanced at you briefly before returning to his drills. “Well,” he stammered, “when you do, you’d better cheer me on.”</p><p>“Yeah, I will. You’re my favorite player.” You waved in Kenma’s direction. “You, too!”</p><p>Kenma’s head ducked down as he shrank from your compliment.</p><p>Kuroo, however, glowed with pride. He hit the ball with much more force than he intended. It soared, reaching for the clouds, only for gravity to yank it back and deposit it on the top of Kuroo’s head. He let out a cry of mild pain and tried to act tough, noting the sparkle in your eyes when you laughed.</p><p>He remembered waking up one morning, still half-asleep, and wandering out into the living room. He was mortified to find you sitting on the couch huddled up with his grandma. She had a camcorder in her wrinkled hands and held it up high enough so you could both peer at the small screen. It didn’t take him long to recognize what it was you were watching. He could hear his own voice as he shouted out to his other teammates from his position on the court.</p><p>“Morning, Kuroo!” You gave him a polite wave. “Nice pajamas.”</p><p>He cursed his laundry basket and his inability to do his own chores in a timely manner. If he washed them like his grandma asked him to, he wouldn’t be caught wearing this faded blue pajama set with bootleg Hamtaro art. He rushed back to his room with a shout, angrily demanding why his grandma hadn’t told him you were out there or woken him up.</p><p>He was embarrassed beyond belief when he did finally re-enter the room. You decided to lay off the teasing, mostly because you wanted to talk with him about what you’d just seen.</p><p>“Hey Kuroo, you helped your team score like ten points out of that game! That was so cool!”</p><p>He tried to pretend the compliment didn’t just make his ears start to burn. “Which one?”</p><p>“I’m not sure what team it was. They were wearing green and white uniforms. You’ve gotten super good! And you’re fast, too!”</p><p>He remembered how bummed out he’d been when you said you wouldn’t be able to make his first junior high game, though his initial frustration melted away once it started. He put all his energy into winning and his team came out on top. He had no idea that his grandparents had been recording him and wondered why they treated it like such a secret.</p><p>“We’re going to let her borrow the tape so she can make a copy.” His grandmother smiled at him knowingly. Ugh, why were adults so perceptive?! “She wants to show her family.”</p><p>“Yeah, plus, I’m gonna keep it in my collection for when you become a superstar volleyball player. It’s to show your humble beginnings,” you joked. “Like, hey! See this dude? If he can make it, so can you!”</p><p>He grabbed the camcorder from you before you could pop the tape out. “What’ll you give me for this important piece of history?”</p><p>You stared at him dead in the eyes. The intensity of the action left him a little queasy. “Well, you can give me that tape, or you can go on for the rest of junior high known as Hamtaro Boy.”</p><p>His jaw dropped. You took that opportunity to gently remove the camcorder from his hands.</p><p>“See? That wasn’t so hard.”</p><p>Kuroo was in his first year of high school and was devastated by a string of losses that left his team’s morale in the dirt. He was berated by his upperclassmen for rookie mistakes as the pressure of improving slowly crushed him under its heavy weight. Coach Nekomata made things much more tolerable and he was grateful for him stepping in when the competitive drive became more akin to aggression.</p><p>You noticed it right away that night as he walked you home. “Hey, what’s the scrape on your elbow from?”</p><p>It only stung when he glanced down at it. “I guess I got it from practice.”</p><p>You stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and turned his arm over to get a better look. It was raw, red, angry and even the barest breeze made the injury prickle. You sighed and went into your bag to pull out a mini first aid kit.</p><p>“Yaku really thinks he’s your mom,” Kuroo laughed. “Where did he even find that?”</p><p>“I have no idea. But the more you make fun it, the less likely I am to use it.”</p><p>You both knew your words were hollow. You ripped open the disinfectant wipe and made sure to gently brush off any lingering blood and torn skin. Once that was through, all it took was a dollop of antibiotic cream and a fresh bandaid. You smoothed it over a few times to make sure the adhesive stuck.</p><p>“I think you’re probably the hottest nurse I’ve ever been treated by,” Kuroo told you shamelessly. “Although you would’ve gotten extra points if you wore the uniform.”</p><p>That actually got a laugh out of you. You grabbed the tie on his uniform and tugged him down to kiss you. It was brief, only because you were self-conscious of the people around you, but it was enough for him. He grabbed your hand and refused to let you wander away from him.</p><p>“When’s your next game? I want to make sure I can go.”</p><p>“Don’t you ever get tired of it?”</p><p>You scoffed and glanced at him from the corner of your eye. “Never.”</p><p>Kuroo would be graduating in a couple of months from now and he held his head high as he crossed the court. The stadium lights were strong, harsh, and acted as a spotlight to swivel down toward the stark white number ‘1’ emblazoned across his back. It was a beacon of authority that spoke volumes about his talent and leadership skills.</p><p>His lungs expanded and contracted with each deep breath as his rapid heartrate came to a slow pounding against his chest. His steps were measured and careful along the spotless floors. This was his stage. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them up again, drinking in the shouts, cheers and calls of the growing crowd before him.</p><p>His team walked alongside him. None of them faltered despite the significance of their presence here. They swallowed their nervousness and straightened their backs to present an air of confidence, no doubt drinking in the support from fans and strangers alike.</p><p>Kuroo settled into his spot on the court after the warm-up exercises were completed. The game would commence in a few seconds. He knew you were out there watching. You always were.</p><p>With that knowledge burning in his brain, he allowed that feral grin to cross his face once the whistle blew.</p><p>
  <em>“Are you nervous for tomorrow, Tetsurou?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What do you think?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I think you’re gonna do great, so maybe give the muscles between your eyebrows a break. We’re almost home and I’ve got a surprise for you to cheer you up.”</em>
</p><p><strong>Nekoma High School</strong> vs Kiyokawa High School (2:0 / 29-27, 25-21)</p><p>The first set had been touch and go. Kuroo refused to give up and his teammates followed suit. Kenma was quick to react and adapt, his wise words forming into a viable plan for victory. They crossed the threshold of the twenty-five-point mark and every point that Kiyokawa scored in response left a bitter taste in their mouths.</p><p>The second set was easier in that they could see the other team wind down. It wasn’t their energy that faded, but their determination faltered just enough for Nekoma to pull ahead. They made their meticulous moves and never let up. Blocks, saves, spikes – all of which ended in them winning their first game no contest.</p><p>
  <em>“You made me dinner?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Well, yeah. It’s a victory platter by yours truly, with the main course obviously being grilled salted mackerel pike.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I feel like a guy on death row getting his last meal.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Okay, dude. I’m telling you this is gonna set you up for a win! Believe in the power of the pike…”</em>
</p><p><strong>Nekoma High School</strong> vs Sarukawa Tech High (2:0 / 25-23, 32-30)</p><p>Kuroo felt the heat with the second match and it set his blood on fire. He wasn’t about to let his team get this far and go home with their tail between their legs. The adrenaline fueled his every move. He was weightless and boneless, pushing his body to the limit, trusting himself over to instinct. The sweat dripped down from his hairline and was washed away by the careful hydration he received from his trusted water bottle.</p><p>Twenty-five points came and went. Nekoma and the other team exchanged blows with each other, refusing to let up. For Sarukawa, this was their chance to remain in the running. Kuroo saw it as an opportunity to solidify Nekoma’s spot in the third round. Even as the points climbed upward, they refused to concede. It made them worthy opponents and that victory all the sweeter.</p><p><em>“You’ve already proven that you’re one of the top schools in the entire country. That means something. I keep thinking back to that little kid who hit me in the face because he couldn’t control the ball. If I told him he was going to nationals someday, I don’t think he’d believe me. But you’re here.</em>”</p><p>
  <em>“Yeah, but it wasn’t just me.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“That’s not what I’m saying and you know it. No one can deny that you have an incredible team. They just wouldn’t be where they are without someone who could help them find their real potential. Only someone as kindhearted as you could do that. You have this way of inspiring people and bringing them out of their shells. It’s one of the reasons why we’ve been friends all these years.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Hey…you really wanna stick with me even after we graduate?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Tetsurou, you’re a lifetime commitment, trust me.”</em>
</p><p>Nekoma High School vs <strong>Karasuno High</strong> (1:2 / 27-25, 24-26, 21-25)</p><p>Kuroo was teeming with pride for his teammates. They were able to fulfill the promise Coach Nekomata and his adversary made all those years ago. It took a combination of patience, tireless effort, mindless drills and sheer persistence to get here. Nekoma started off strong and took the first set, proving to everyone watching that they were here to make their mark.</p><p>However, Karasuno was no longer the team they first encountered all those months ago at the practice game. They were seasoned players now and the bitter, gritty taste of defeat only spurred them on. Kuroo scanned the room and saw the wealth of talent before him. They had faith in each other and their resolve was unshakeable. It was no surprise that they won the second set.</p><p>As the number of points between the two teams widened, Kuroo stole glances at the players on both sides of the court. They all pushed through, unbothered by the sweat pouring down their foreheads and their muscles straining to keep up with every jump, dive and hit. They were sore, gasping for air, soaked to the bone, and none of them were willing to give.</p><p>In the end, Karasuno didn’t just find their wings. They left Nekoma stranded on the ground and took flight to conquer the entire sky.</p><p>The underdogs came out on top and Kuroo wasn’t as devastated as he expected himself to be. Maybe it was because Karasuno was one of the best teams he could lose to. If anyone deserved to move forward, it was them. He went through the rounds of embracing his teammates and even his opponents, exhausted, heartbroken, elated and humbled.</p><p>His high school volleyball career was over.</p><p>“Tetsurou!”</p><p>With that spare moment he had, you gravitated toward each other. He didn’t care who was watching or what they would say. His arms were already around your back, squeezing you tight to his chest, trying to fight back tears as you told him how proud you were.</p><p>“First time to Spring High in five years and you guys make it to the third round. Do you have any idea how amazing that is?”</p><p>“I think I’m got an idea.” He glanced over at his team and found his expression mirroring theirs. “They won’t let me down next year.”</p><p>“They’ve got big shoes to fill, but I know they can do it. They had a pretty awesome captain. Or so I’ve heard.”</p><p>Kuroo knew it was just the adrenaline rush and that he and you would pretend this never happened. For now, he put his hands on your cheeks and relished the way your lips felt on his. It’d been over a year since he kissed you and doing so now only made him realize how much he’d been missing. Your eyes fluttered closed and you rested your hand against the back of his neck, applying enough pressure for him to kiss you that much harder.</p><p>He really wished the moment would last. You were disrupted by the shouts and cheers around you and jolted as the magic dissipated. You pulled away from each other and he licked at his lower lip to savor the taste of your lipstick, no matter how waxy it felt against his tongue.</p><p>You were soon whisked away by other members of the team and he watched from a distance, his body buzzing all over.</p><p>“Dude, what’s that on your face?” Yamamoto called out to him as he passed by.</p><p>Kuroo used the back of his hand to wipe away the evidence. “Accidentally bit my lip.”</p><p>“That sucks. You need some water?”</p><p>He swallowed once and stared at your back. “Yeah.”</p><p>With the results of Spring High now official, Kuroo found himself at peace with what he’d done. He knew that going pro wasn’t for him. He would leave that to his friends, who played the sport like it was their lifeline. He was positive that someone like Bokuto or Hinata would pursue their dreams without ever looking back. The fact that he played a part in their success was enough for him. He wished them the best for their bright futures.</p><p>The afternoon sunlight scattered as dusk arrived. The gym had been cozy and warm, so it was a little bit of a shock when he stepped outside and was greeted with a gust of harsh wind. He was pleasantly tired, and he knew full well that he would need to take a hot bath to relax his muscles and ease his mind. That lack of energy soon faded when he spotted you talking animatedly with Yukie and Kaori.</p><p>You’d kept your promise to them after all. You distanced yourself from him so he could concentrate on the competition. Even if Nekoma didn’t win, they got much farther than anyone expected. He wanted to return the favor. The entrance exam was the next thing on his list. He would put all the energy he spent into the club on studying, instead.</p><p>Kenma’s parents were ecstatic with his performance and were humbled that he enjoyed himself so much. They decided to host a dinner at their home and you were invited.</p><p>“Make yourselves at home. I’m sure both of you want a bath before dinner. We’re going to get started on it. Tetsurou, since you’re our guest, you can go first.”</p><p>“Thanks, I’ve got a spare change of clothes in my gym bag.”</p><p>Kuroo disappeared down the hallway and you followed Kenma into his room. He looked like he wanted to pass out. You turned on the TV and flipped it to some kind of mindless prank show so you could relax.</p><p>“I saw you,” he finally said as he sank down onto his chair. “You and Kuroo kissed.”</p><p>“What?” You couldn’t even look him the eye. “We didn’t think anyone was watching and it lasted for like five seconds.”</p><p> “Are you two going to talk about it?”</p><p>“I don’t think so. I think it was a spur of the moment kind of thing.” You snuggled deeper into the sweatshirt you were wearing. It had once been Kuroo’s and that just made this conversation that much more awkward. “We’ve got a lot going on in the upcoming weeks. He’s got finals to study for and a lot of that time was cut out because of volleyball. So…”</p><p>“Do you not want to date him again?” Kenma asked flatly. “You keep making excuses.”</p><p>“They’re not excuses. I just…want it to last this time.” You hadn’t confided in him like this before and it felt a little awkward. “I want to make sure we’re sure we want to go for it again. Because honestly, Kenma, I don’t know if another breakup is going to let us be as close as we are now. Not that I’m expecting it, but…life gets in the way of a lot of our plans.”</p><p>He stared at you for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. “If you wait forever, you might miss your opportunity. That’s even worse. You could go to college without telling him and then what?”</p><p>You knew he was right. Maybe you were dragging your feet. Truth be told, you were still scared of taking that next step. You were so sure that things would last forever the last time you went out with each other. If it didn’t work this time around, when would it ever? Then you would have to face the reality that maybe you just didn’t work as a couple. That would be devastating.</p><p>All three of you settled in at your respective places at the table as dinner was served. The rice was fresh and still hot from the cooker and there was a wealth of meat, fish and veggies to go around.</p><p>“Tetsurou, haven’t you decided which university you’ll be attending?”</p><p>Kuroo didn’t miss a beat. “I’ve got a few places I’m looking at and planning to apply to, but nothing set in stone yet. I’ll be sticking around Tokyo, though, that’s for sure.”</p><p>You were relieved to hear it. Honestly, you’d been so caught up in getting him through Spring High that you didn’t think about the future. You and Kuroo would most likely be going to different schools and working part-time jobs away from each other. It would be hard seeing one another if that was the case. Your last try at long-distance failed miserably.</p><p>You walked home feeling more discouraged than ever.</p><p>Nekoma was still riding high off their participation in the tournament. Their return to school came with congratulations from classmates and teachers alike.</p><p>As much as Kuroo wanted to lie back and accept their praise and share their enthusiasm, he now had a different priority. He went straight home and cracked open practice books and exercises. He brushed up on his worst subjects so he would go into the exam feeling as confident as he did when he walked out onto that court just days before.</p><p>The day of the test arrived and you wanted to get to the center as early as possible. Your stomach was a mess. You woke up frequently the night before and felt a little sick when your alarm went off. You hadn’t felt this nervous since you tried to get into Hanagasuku. You forced yourself to eat a light breakfast since you needed the brain power.</p><p>You knew it would be crowded at the test center and you were a little overwhelmed with so many people waiting to head inside. Not everyone here would be applying to Keio. It was a standardized exam so other universities used it, too. It was just one of the requirements to even be considered as a prospective student.</p><p>It was daunting being in such a large room surrounded by strangers. It made you apprehensive about the future. You’d been friends with your current group for years now. After you graduated, you’d have to start all over. You weren’t exactly the most social or friendly person alive. Everyone who was dear to you had wedged their way into your life somehow.</p><p>Steeling yourself for the inevitable, you zeroed in on the first question.</p><p>The first day you turned your exams in, your brain was complete mush. You went home and cried for only about…an hour…before flinging yourself onto your bed and trying to rub out the strings of sentences and numbers that swam across the back of your eyelids. You huddled in your house and changed into the comfiest pajamas you could. Everyone reached out to you to see how you’d done, but you only managed to fire off a couple of words before zoning out.</p><p>The second day was just as bad, though you knew what to expect. You told yourself that this was it. All you had to do was get through this and then you would be set until graduation. You worked too damn hard to fail now.</p><p>Once the last packet was completed and you were free to go, you felt a rush of euphoria. You plodded out the front door and stared at the opposite side of the building where a few students trickled out. It was then you locked eyes with Kuroo. You knew he saw you, because a look of panic crossed his face just moments before you stopped in your tracks and changed course to head for him instead.</p><p>“Tetsurou, are you taking the test too?” You were in disbelief. “You should’ve told me, we could’ve come here together.”</p><p>He grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, well, I figured I may as well since there are a lot of universities that need it.”</p><p>“I don’t buy it. You’ve been avoiding telling me anything about what school you picked. Are you…planning on applying to Keio, too?”</p><p>Kuroo laughed under his breath and made a comment about how he messed up big this time. “I didn’t want to tell you unless I didn’t get in. It’s a hard enough school and the chances of both of us—”</p><p>You didn’t care what he had to say. You were so touched that you dropped your bag and took him into a fierce embrace. Even though your ears burned from several whistles behind you as other would-be students passed you, you didn’t let go of him. He returned the hug with just as much gusto, neither of you saying anything as you drank in the moment.</p><p> “I got tired of waiting for you to come to my school, so I figured I would make a move myself,” he mumbled into your hair. “You snubbed me for junior high and high school. What else was I supposed to do?”</p><p>“I just wasn’t expecting this, is all.”</p><p>You separated from each other and you couldn’t contain the huge grin on your face. His expression mirrored yours.</p><p>“So…how d’you think you did?”</p><p>“Oh, I don’t even care anymore.” You gathered your things back up from the ground. “Can we please grab something to eat? I need sugar to feed my brain. Too many neurons sacrificed themselves today.”</p><p>You left the testing center in high spirits. You did talk briefly about the exam, but your conversation mostly veered to your remaining days in high school. Graduation was in the beginning of March. You were already embarrassed at having him and his family swing by to watch your ceremony, as Nekoma’s was on a different day. You had to admit, though, you were excited to stop by his school to see him walk with his classmates.</p><p>When the results of your testing were posted, you shakily pulled up the website. Your heart pounded in your ears and its hard beat pushed out any chance for you to form a coherent thought. You scanned over the final marks. The numbers stared back at you for a moment as you broke down into tears. Without waiting a single second, you ran to your front door, put on your shoes, and barreled down the street toward Kuroo’s house.</p><p>Kuroo was already halfway out the door when he spotted you. “Hey, I was about to come over – wait, are you crying?”</p><p>“I freaked out, I think it’s just all coming at me at once,” you sniffled. “I didn’t think it was going to be a big deal, I pretended like whatever happened I’d be fine with, then I saw it and I just lost it.”</p><p>He took one look at you and laughed. That only made you feel worse.</p><p>“Why are you laughing at me?!”</p><p>“Because you’re a huge crybaby,” he teased. “We exchanged IDs, remember? I already saw your score. I thought you were gonna tell me that you accidentally kicked a cat on the way over here or something.”</p><p>You huffed. “You know what, I’m going home!”</p><p>“Wait, wait,” he snickered, reaching forward to grab your wrist. “Let me start over. Alright? I’ll be the doting guy you want me to be, just this once.” He pulled the edge of his sleeve down to cover his palm and gently wiped away the remnants of tears from your face. “Great job on your exams. I knew you could do it.”</p><p>You grabbed his wrist and rubbed your snot on it as revenge, earning a disgusted cry from him. “I’m proud of you, too. And, well…I’m just glad it’s over with. Yours were just as good. So we’re both going to submit our applications to Keio, then?”</p><p>“Now that I think about it, maybe I will try for UTokyo instead…”</p><p>You shot him a watery glare. “Fine, then maybe I’ll just apply for somewhere overseas. I bet Jun or Aniyah would let me live with them.”</p><p>He chuckled and brought you into his arms with a tight squeeze. You struggled in his grip and his arms only curled in further so you couldn’t escape. After a few seconds of playing hard to get, you eventually let him hold you. You were still emotional from the realization that the future you’d worked so hard for was now in your grasp. It was a new beginning for both of you.</p><p>Keio University was a little less than an hour from where you lived. Morning commutes were such a drag. You already despised having to rouse out of bed early for your trek to Hanagasuku. It also sucked that you wouldn’t really be able to run home for lunch unless you had big gaps in your schedule. For a freshman, that idea was pretty laughable.</p><p>You knocked on the door before entering into the teacher’s offices. “Mr. Dobashi, you wanted to see me?”</p><p>He peeled the glasses from his face and rubbed at his eyes wearily. “Yes, thank you. I heard from the other girls that you were recently accepted into Keio.”</p><p>“Yes, sir…I got my acceptance letter last week.” It’d been a day worth remembering. You would never forget how you and Kuroo huddled together and opened them at the same time. He got a papercut from the letter opener and then flicked blood all over the back of your envelope. You were so grossed out that you almost forgot all about reading the letter itself. “I’ll be starting in April.”</p><p>“I’m so excited for you. It’s a great school. Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk with you about.” He ushered you to join him and pulled out a nearby chair from a neighboring desk. You settled into it and scooted closer to him so you could have a more private conversation.</p><p>“I thought you wanted to talk about the club.”</p><p>“No, just a proposition I had for you.” He shot you a kind smile. “You remember how infatuated I’ve been with your grandmother’s house, right? It brings back a lot of memories. I used to spend a lot of my time over there. It’s nostalgic, not like the place I live in now.”</p><p>You hesitated. “Well, your condo <em>is</em> really nice.”</p><p>“It is, but it’s a pain going to and from work, even with a car. I would much rather take the scenic route.” He lifted his brows at you and you weren’t sure where he was going with this. “The commute to Keio wouldn’t be terrible for you, but I actually own an apartment complex in the area. I was hoping you might consider trading off with me. You live there and I could stay at your grandmother’s house.”</p><p>You were at a loss for words. “Wait, why do you have an apartment there? No offense, but how do you even afford all these high-class places?”</p><p>He couldn’t help but laugh at that. “The place I’m living in now isn’t really mine. It was given to me by my father. He insisted that I move into it when I started working at Hanagasuku. I actually prefer my old place. My grandfather bought it years ago and no one was interested in taking care of it because it’s not as flashy as the other places in the area. I promise it’s not going to cave in on you. I wouldn’t charge you any rent since you’d be doing me a favor in letting me stay somewhere that feels more like home. You would just need to pay for utilities.”</p><p>You were floored with his proposition. It was a generous offer. Staying somewhere close to campus was nice enough, but not having to pay much for rent was another thing. Especially since you’d have the place to yourself.</p><p>“You don’t have to decide now. I’m sure you’ll want to talk it over with your parents first.”</p><p>“I will! I mean, I think it’s an awesome idea. It would help me out a lot. Are you sure, though? My grandma’s house is kind of small and a lot of her appliances are out of date…”</p><p>Mr. Dobashi nodded at you, his eyes twinkling. “It would mean a lot to me. Even visiting there has always been a pleasant experience. I prefer the quiet neighborhood as opposed to the nightlife where I live. I can give you and your parents a brief tour of the place beforehand if you need some reassurance.”</p><p>Within the next few days, you’d convinced your parents to let Mr. Dobashi show them around the place he was offering. Neither of them seemed enthused when you spoke about it over the phone. Still, they humored you, and all of you loaded into his car as he drove through the congested streets of Tokyo. You didn’t recognize the area in the slightest and the idea of being relocated to a place like this, without any landmarks, did make you nervous.</p><p>Mr. Dobashi’s apartment building wasn’t a showstopper by any means, but it wasn’t as humble as he made it sound. Its exterior was sturdy and made with reinforced concrete to weather through severe storms, typhoons, or earthquakes. The surrounding area had been brought to life with a few shrubs and flowers which had been thriving since the building had been purchased all those decades ago. Altogether, it had six floors and a total of twenty-four rooms that were all occupied – save for the one in question. Thankfully, the one he was offering was on the ground floor.</p><p>He stated that all of the other tenants had been living there for years and were quiet, kind people who kept mostly to themselves. He did introduce you to a couple of older ladies that lived there, though you forgot their names instantaneously.</p><p>“It’s a nice neighborhood. We have a surveillance system in place and we do a lot of routine checks with the locks on all the doors and windows.” The key jingled in his hand as he stuck it in the lock and turned. “There’s a convenience store right down the street, and a police station not too far if you’re concerned about that, too. We haven’t had any problems with break-ins since I took over and that was more than ten years ago.”</p><p>You walked in and you were immediately enamored with the layout. There was a sizeable living room, a small kitchen and a dining room. Traveling further down the hall, you were surprised to see that there was a master bedroom and then a second smaller room off to the side. There was a single bathroom, but it was large enough to have a separate toilet room, the bath, a large sink and washing machine.</p><p>“You two can always visit as guests,” Mr. Dobashi offered. “There’s enough room for people to stay the night. Let me show you the balcony.”</p><p>He pulled the curtains aside and you drank in the scenery. The balcony faced the space behind the building so it was a little more private. People driving or walking by couldn’t look in. There was a small garden that several of the tenants took care of together. It was a beautiful place overall, and so convenient for you that it seemed like a mistake not to take advantage of this opportunity.</p><p>“It’s a wonderful offer, Kiichirou, but we’re just concerned about her being alone.”</p><p>“Seriously?” You stared at your mom as she shot you a subdued smile. “I live by myself right now and you guys don’t care.”</p><p>“Of course we worry about you. But you live so close to the Kozume and Kuroo families, so we know you’re well taken care of.” Your dad crossed his arms and surveyed the room again with mild interest. “You would be out here by yourself. Is it really necessary to move? The commute from where you are now isn’t so bad.”</p><p>You were crushed. This was a no-brainer. Less time spent traveling, more time to unwind. You wouldn’t have to rely constantly on fast food for lunch.</p><p>“So what if I had a roommate, then? I wouldn’t be living alone.”</p><p>“Unless it’s someone we know, I wouldn’t feel any better having you live with a stranger.” Your dad frowned and you put on the puppy dog eyes to appeal to his weak spot for you. “Okay, we can talk about it more at home. I’m sorry we can’t give you a decision today.”</p><p>“That’s no problem at all. I know it’s a big change.” Mr. Dobashi took the lead and you trailed off toward his car. You took one last, long look at the apartment before climbing in to buckle up.</p><p>Kuroo hadn’t been expecting you to stop by. He was in the middle of helping his grandmother prepare for dinner when you showed up. He could tell you were nervous about something, especially when you asked if you could speak with everyone. His family had no problem letting you join dinner; there was always a space for you at the table.</p><p>“So, what did you want to talk to us about?” Kuroo’s father asked mildly. “If you’re here to ask for permission for my son’s hand in marriage, we could’ve saved you the trip.”</p><p>You were mortified at the suggestion and Kuroo was red in the face. His dad only laughed. His grandfather joined in while his grandmother scolded them both.</p><p>“Um…no,” you stammered. “Actually, I wanted to ask something else. Tetsurou and I are both going to Keio next year. My teacher offered me an apartment near the school and I’d really like to take it, but my parents aren’t liking the idea of me living alone. It has an extra bedroom and, well…I was hoping that you would let Tetsurou move in with me while we go to school.”</p><p>Kuroo immediately choked on his food and ended up spitting out whatever was in his mouth into the napkin he grabbed. His grandmother’s eyes sparkled. His father’s expression was entirely neutral. His grandfather was scandalized at your words.</p><p>“Absolutely not. Improper. Women and men should not be staying under the same roof unless they’re married!” his grandfather cried.</p><p>His grandmother put a hand on her husband’s arm to soothe him. “Calm yourself, dear. Their generation is different from ours.”</p><p>“And what about you?” His grandfather shot across the table. “You’re going to let your son run off and live shamelessly with his girlfriend?”</p><p>“They’re not dating and I wouldn’t have a problem with it even if they were. Tetsurou is old enough to know better.” Kuroo’s dad continued to eat, unbothered by the ruckus his own father was making. “I find it amusing. Having a girl be so bold to ask an entire family for permission…it’s obvious she trusts my son and wouldn’t extend this offer to anyone else.”</p><p>He was a stern man and you found him intimidating. Needless to say, you were shocked by his outright nonchalance.</p><p>You snuck a glance over at Kuroo. He’d finally managed to stop coughing and drank about half a glass of water doing so. He lifted his head, only to find that the entire table was staring at him.</p><p>“I know it’s super sudden. Mr. Dobashi offered it to me the other day and I took a tour with my parents earlier.” You tried to pretend you weren’t hurt at how terrified he looked. “If you’re not okay with it, I’ll let him know. I don’t want to force you into it.”</p><p>Kuroo swallowed. “So you…checked it out? Everything was cool?”</p><p>“Yeah. I took a bunch of pictures, too.” You handed him your phone. He swiped through them and you could see him relax a bit. It got passed around the table so everyone else could have a look. “It’s a really safe area. I met some of the tenants, they’re older and really sweet.” You rattled off the other things Mr. Dobashi mentioned so you could sell the idea to the family. “He wouldn’t charge us rent. We’d only have to pay for water, power, that kind of thing. I feel like it would help a lot since we’ll both be working part-time.”</p><p>“I still don’t approve,” his grandfather grumbled. “But kids these days have no respect for their elders. So what do you care what I have to say?”</p><p>“It does matter to me.” You made eye contact with him so he could see the resolution in your eyes. “I came here asking all of you, not just Tetsurou, because I wouldn’t want to go behind your back. Tetsurou is my best friend and has been for years. I would feel safe having him stay with me. We can help each other study and you wouldn’t have to worry about him being well-fed. I know it’s a big decision, so I’m not looking for your approval today, but I would like you to at least consider it.”</p><p>His grandfather’s sour expression waned somewhat. You were grateful for that. He was always a tough cookie and you tried over the years to get him to like you. It was harder than it seemed.</p><p>“What do you want to do, Tetsurou?” his father asked him directly. “Is that something you would want?”</p><p>“Don’t just tell me what you think I want to hear,” you added. “It’s really okay if you’d rather not. I thought I’d give it a try.”</p><p>Kuroo’s eyes flicked from his family to you. You were a bit embarrassed having his full attention. You’d seen him make a variety of expressions over the years. This one was hard to grasp.</p><p>“You don’t want someone like Kaori or Yukie?”</p><p>“No.” You fidgeted underneath the table and decided to be fully honest. “I don’t want to live with anyone else, I want to live with you.”</p><p>“She sounds so sure.” His father mused, a sparkle in his eyes. “Are you sure you really think my son will be a good roommate? He likes to leave piles of dirty laundry scattered in his room. He has to do the same dishes twice to make sure they’re really clean. He also tends to track in mud no matter how many times I have to tell him to rinse his shoes outside.”</p><p>You laughed and the tension in the room faded.</p><p>“C’mon, Dad, that’s messed up. At least knock me down when I’m not in the room.”</p><p>“If anyone can get Tetsurou to tidy up, it’s her.” His grandmother rested her chin on her hands and her eyes crinkled in mirth. “His room is always spotless when she comes over. You can teach him how to cook so he doesn’t survive off ramen.”</p><p>“You guys are making me sound like a real loser.” Kuroo huffed under his breath and then decided to speak his mind. “Yeah, I wanna live with her. I think she’s probably one of the only people who could share a place with me and not drive me crazy. Well, craz<em>ier</em>.” He shot you a boyish smile, one so carefree and excitable that you couldn’t help but giggle. “Besides, someone’s gotta keep her sane during college. Otherwise she’ll spend the whole day talking to herself. I’ll make sure she doesn’t crack under pressure.”</p><p>His dad set his chopsticks down. “Then that’s that. You’ll have to let us know when your move-in date is so we can help you two get settled. I’m guessing right after graduation?”</p><p>“Yeah, it would give us time to get used to the area and look for work before school starts.”</p><p>The rest of the dinner went smoothly. Although Kuroo’s grandfather was reluctant at first, the more his wife spoke about the new experiences and opportunities, the more he opened up. He admitted to you that he truly thought that you were a good influence on Kuroo and wanted him to be happy. Even if that confession was encouraged with a little bit of sake that was brought out to celebrate, it still meant a lot to you.</p><p>Kuroo jumped at the opportunity to walk you home. He waited until you were far enough from his house to bring up what was on both your minds.</p><p>“So the two of us together, under one roof? You sure that’s a good idea?”</p><p>“I don’t know, should I be worried?” You looked up at him with a mischievous smile. “Just kidding. I know you’re not like other guys, Tetsurou. You respect my boundaries. I really am glad you’re all for it. I was scared you’d say no.”</p><p>“Yeah, right. You know I’m all for less time on the bus and more time sleeping in.”</p><p>“Pfft. I am going to miss Kenma, though. We won’t be able to see him very much once the school year starts.”</p><p>“He’s opened up to a lot of the club and got a lot more friends now. I feel a lot better about how he’ll do next year. He can always stop by our place whenever he wants.”</p><p>You tried not to get too embarrassed at how casually he said it. <em>Our place</em>. He didn’t mean it that way, you knew that. It still gave you butterflies. You went along with the rest of the conversation while pretending that you weren’t about to lose your shit at the thought of you actually spending more time with each other than you had in years.</p><p>Once Kuroo left, you took refuge inside your room and called your parents. They picked up right away.</p><p>“Hey. I just wanted to let you guys know that I found a roommate for the apartment.”</p><p>“Really?” Your dad wasn’t all too convinced. “Who?”</p><p>“Tetsurou.”</p><p>It was silent for a second on the other line, then your mom let out a shrill scream. “YES! Wedding plans, here I come!”</p><p>“MOM!”</p><p>She continued ranting off in the background. You could hear your dad trying to get her to calm down so the neighbors wouldn’t think she was getting murdered or something. He sighed into the receiver and you could already picture the wrinkles becoming more deeply set into his skin.</p><p>“I know right now you two aren’t dating, but as your father…I still worry.” He cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with how to proceed. “All I ask is that…if you two do end up together again…please do so safely.”</p><p>Oh, God – why was it that was the conclusion they jumped to? “You guys seriously do not have to worry about that, okay? Sheesh. You act like we’re gonna jump each other the moment you leave us alone! We’ve spent plenty of nights together and nothing happened.”</p><p>You realized what you just said and felt your soul drift away from your body. Aw, SHIT!!!</p><p>“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that, even though I shouldn’t be surprised,” he muttered. “I owe your mom another ten thousand yen.”</p><p>“Are you guys seriously still taking bets on our relationship?!”</p><p>You already knew that they wouldn’t give you a hard time. They loved Kuroo and they were devastated when you broke up. All they wanted for you was to be happy and safe. Kuroo was tall and athletic, which they viewed as a boon in keeping creeps away. Minoru’s classes also gave them some peace of mind.</p><p>You promised them that you would call at least once a day so they could check in on you. With that matter settled, all that was left was two big events: graduation and the move.</p><p>“You’re kidding, right?” Yaku deadpanned. “You two? In the same apartment?”</p><p>“Gee, thanks for the support.” You grabbed his drink so you could take a long sip, knowing full well it would irritate him. You’d invited your friend group out for dinner so you could share the news. You ended up in the same karaoke bar that you went to for Kuroo’s birthday all those years ago, mostly for privacy and the large space you could use to be as obnoxious as you wanted. “But yes. We already got permission from both our families.”</p><p>“I guess we should’ve asked your second mom for his blessing.” Kuroo reached over to pat Yaku on the head, only to have his wrist snatched midair before he could go for it. “Aw, c’mon, Yakkun! You know there’s nobody you trust more than me.”</p><p>“I trust <em>everyone</em> more than you,” he retorted. “Kenma would be a better choice. I’d even trust Minoru and Akaashi. But you? You’re a walking disaster.”</p><p>He wasn’t wrong. To anyone else the idea of moving in with an ex seemed like a terrible idea. But you and Kuroo were different. At least you thought so. You tried to stifle your laughter as Kuroo had the nerve to act offended. He placed a hand gently over his heart and stated, with all the sincerity he could muster, that he was an angel (and always had been).</p><p>“Unfortunately, living alone is always going to be more dangerous for women,” Minoru lamented. “I feel much better knowing that Kuroo will be there for you. Not that I don’t think you can handle yourself. But you’ve heard about how perverted some of those college-aged men can be, especially towards their classmates. I wouldn’t want you to get caught up in any of that.”</p><p>“I appreciate your concern, Minoru.” He always had good intentions in mind for you. “Kou? You’ve been pretty quiet this whole time.”</p><p>Bokuto looked up from his empty plate. “I want to move in too,” he announced. “It’s not fair that Kuroo gets to live with you and I don’t! We’re best friends! I can protect you just as good!”</p><p>“Dude, you’re not even going to the same school as us.” Kuroo massaged his temples. “You’re not even going to school period. You’re focusing on your volleyball career. Besides, the place only has two rooms. And no, I’m not sharing a room with you by adding another bed.”</p><p>His hair immediately deflated.</p><p>“You know you can always stop by to hang out with us, Kou. Just, uh, let us know in advance so we can tidy up.”</p><p>Kaori and Yukie were all for it…obviously. They had both been trying to make excuses for you and Kuroo to have alone time for months now. You could see the gears turning in their dastardly minds. They were going to grill you for every detail. You already expressed to them that no, this wasn’t your grand master plan in seducing Kuroo. They refused to believe you.</p><p>“What about you, Akaashi?! Don’t you think it’s unfair? Huh?!”</p><p>Akaashi kept a cool composure despite Bokuto practically shouting in his face. “It’s quite rude to say such things. They shared the news with us because they’re excited about it. As their friends, we should support them.”</p><p>Bokuto groaned and slumped over the table, nearly knocking over one of the girls’ drinks in the process. Yukie was quick to grab it before he made a mess and had to pay for the damages by working in the kitchens. It wouldn’t be the first time it happened. He mumbled a few more sentences dripping with distaste before he gave up. He refused to move even when Kaori poked him from across the table.</p><p>“Come on, Koutarou! Let’s sing something, it’ll make you feel better!” Minoru didn’t wait for a response. He bent down and grabbed Bokuto by the midsection and hoisted him up. Bokuto dangled limply as Minoru dragged him over to the front of the room so they could browse through the song catalogue.</p><p>You gazed around the room and were at peace with the atmosphere. In the faint neon lighting, all you could see were smiles on your friends’ faces as they asked more questions about the university, your future classes, the apartment, and what you were planning on pursuing for your degrees. After graduation, all of you would go on your separate paths. They had their own desires and dreams. Even if you wouldn’t see each other as often, you truly hoped that the connection you built over the last few years wouldn’t be severed so easily with distance between you.</p><p>“I was looking at some furniture stores that have flash sales,” Kenma told you as you huddled in the booth, his brows knit together in concentration. “Mr. Dobashi said he would put whatever you don’t want in a storage unit. I don’t think Kuroo cares much about what it looks like, so it’s really up to you. He’ll be happy with whatever makes you happy.”</p><p>You were touched with his words, knowing he wouldn't say something like that just to make you feel better. “I’m excited. Minoru, Kou, my dad and Tetsurou’s dad all said they would be helping us move things into the apartment. They agreed to help us with the cost of the furniture, too. Plus we have you to make sure we get the best prices on the stuff we need. Thanks, Kenma.”</p><p>The night ended on a bittersweet note. It would be the last time all of you would be able to see each other while you were still high school students.</p><p>Graduation was a formal affair when it came to Hanagasuku. There was a lot of pomp and circumstance. You were required to dress in a special one-day-only uniform that you had to get tailored to fit you. The teachers presented the graduating class as if you were contestants in a beauty pageant. All of you trailed through the auditorium with impeccable posture and steps, as drilled into you by your teachers for weeks leading up to the ceremony. They sang the school anthem and you had to pretend you didn’t feel the stares of your family and friends sitting right there in the crowd.</p><p>You broke away for homeroom to receive your diplomas. You were mentally drained and exhausted waiting for your turn to go up. Your homeroom teacher was sweet and gave a little speech about each of you before handing over what you were all here for.</p><p>You weren’t expecting anything grandiose. You had a few friends in school and you were fine with that. You accepted the mediocre reception as your classmates gave polite claps for you. You were more concerned with this day being over.</p><p>You stood for a group photo and pasted on the best smile you could given how cramped and loud it was. You cursed every single one of your classmates who were blessed with the power of being photogenic. In junior high you blinked during your graduation photo and it still caused Kuroo to roar with laughter even to this day. To prevent that, you kept your eyes wide open. You probably looked crazed. Oh well.</p><p>“We’re so proud of you!” your mom exclaimed, her eyes damp with unshed tears. “You’ve grown so much!”</p><p>“How’d the picture go?” Kuroo snickered, earning a huff from you as you attempted to straighten out your skirt. His grandmother gave him a glare steely enough that it wiped the smirk from his face. He deserved it.</p><p>Your mom ushered you and Kuroo together. “I want a picture of you two! This is going into the album. Tetsurou, don’t be shy. Come in a little closer, you’re too far away.”</p><p>“Mom, don’t force him—”</p><p>You shut up as soon as you felt his arm slip around your waist. You were sure everyone could see the shift in your expression, mostly because this triumphant grin crossed your mom’s face. Your dad looked tickled. Kuroo’s family stood off to the side to take their own photos. Surprisingly enough, his grandfather did show up to congratulate you. You were beginning to think that after nearly a decade of friendship he was finally warming up to you. Score!</p><p>“You look really pretty today,” Kuroo admitted under his breath, only so you could hear him. Who knew what would happen if either of your families caught wind of it. “And I’m not just saying that.”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>About a thousand pictures later, and an entire dinner at a nearby restaurant where your families got rowdy from a combination of good food and alcohol, you and Kuroo found yourselves outside waiting for your families to part. It was funny how your move in together brought them so close. They’d always known of each other, but the atmosphere was a little different now.</p><p>You were glad to be out of the stuffy restaurant and into the fresh air. It was pitch black outside and calm enough that you could get in a word with each other without having to shout over the table.</p><p>“Hey, did you ever hear back about that librarian position?”</p><p>“Yeah! Sorry, I forgot to tell you, I totally got it. I’ll work weeknights for a couple of hours and then weekends all day.”</p><p>“That’s awesome. I applied to a few more places last weekend.”</p><p>“Oh my god. Did you go for that job at the host club just to spite Yakkun?”</p><p>“Nah.”</p><p>“You did! I can see it on your face! DUDE. Did you get REJECTED from the host club?!”</p><p>“Yeah, right. I applied as a joke, anyway.”</p><p>“TETSUROU!” You doubled over laughing. “Wait, what did they say? How did they reject you?”</p><p>“Hey, if you’d seen the other guys lined up out the door, you’d know why I got overlooked. Some of those guys are on the cusp of getting scouted as an idol or something.”</p><p>As hilarious as it was, you couldn’t help yourself. “That’s crazy. There’s no way that they’d find someone hotter than you. Your looks plus your nonchalant attitude would make those desperate girls lose their shit. Maybe they just said no because they knew you’d take business from their veterans or something.”</p><p>When you realized he went quiet, you stole a look at him. He avoided eye contact with you.</p><p>“There, there. Don’t worry. You’ve still got your brains, after all.” You patted his arm to reassure him, though the air had gotten more awkward than you intended.</p><p>“Are you guys ready to go?” Your dad shouted from the sidewalk. “Don’t worry, you two will be together all the time before you know it. You won’t have to sneak off anymore.”</p><p>“Ugh. He is…the worst.” You walked past Kuroo. “C’mon, we’re meeting Kenma at his house for dessert.”</p><p>Kuroo and Yaku’s graduation was a similar, if more laidback affair. You were excited to be in the crowd with Kenma as you watched them stride through the room. It was one of the few times you’d seen them in such a serious light. Sure, they put on their game face when they got on the court, but in school the two of them were usually bickering like siblings.</p><p>You’d grown up with both of them. They were no longer the dorky little boys who bossed you around or gave you a hard time. They had matured into young men with aspirations fully within their reach. You had no doubt that they would make their mark in this world teeming with talent. They were confident in themselves and what they could do, as evidenced by the spark in their eyes.</p><p>Pictures, speeches and singing wrapped as they both headed off with their classmates. You hung out with the Kozume, Kuroo and Yaku family. Your mom and dad showed up to lend their support as well. It was nice seeing them together like this. You took your own discreet photos and promised yourself you would actually have them printed so you could decorate your apartment with them.</p><p>You went out to eat together and you were thankful that the four of you had your own table separate from the adults. You wouldn’t last another minute with Yaku’s mom crying about how grown up you were. You loved her, but…just, no.</p><p>“If you ever need anything, let me know,” Yaku told Kenma as he shrugged off his jacket. The room had gotten pretty toasty despite it still being frigid outside. You blamed the crowded restaurant. “You have my number. And even if we’re both graduated, don’t expect us to let up on making sure you’re eating properly. Just because she’s not making you lunch doesn’t mean you’re allowed to skip meals. I already asked Tora to keep an eye on you.”</p><p>Kenma had an exasperated look on his face.</p><p>“Are you sure you’re gonna be okay? I really feel bad about us splitting up like this.” You gazed at Yaku and Kenma. “All of us are really close. Especially you and Tetsurou, Kenma. You guys have been in each other’s lives for a long time. I just don’t want you to feel left out or lonely.”</p><p>“I don’t mind,” he reassured you. “We can text and chat. And you’re less than an hour away.”</p><p>“True. Still, though…it’s sad thinking about us going our separate ways.” You didn’t want to ruin the night by bringing down the mood, but it was really how you felt. “From now on, things are going to be really different. We won’t be able to ride on the bus with you to school or go to practice together.”</p><p>“I’m telling you, Kenma’s got this.” Kuroo smiled at you with a gentleness that made your stomach twist. “He doesn’t need us babying him anymore. He’s gonna be a third year in a few months. I already told Lev to start calling him ‘senpai’.”</p><p>“You better not have,” Kenma deadpanned. “That’s weird.”</p><p>It did lift your spirits a little bit. Kuroo was right, you knew he was. Kenma was someone who had trouble standing on his own two feet for so long. Kuroo had been there to help him find confidence in himself and to get him involved so he wouldn’t end up alone. Kenma made huge strides within this past year. He was talkative with his fellow club members. He enjoyed playing volleyball. And with Kuroo’s lectures and tutoring over the last few years, he’d developed the best skills to study. He wasn’t weak-willed, nor would he crumble if you were to leave. His independence was a beautiful thing, even as bittersweet as it was for you. You were sure Kuroo felt the same way.</p><p>You were at peace after that night. Kenma was special to you. He always had been. Knowing that he was ready to face the world on his own took a huge weight off your shoulders. With his intelligence and the way he drew people in, he wouldn’t be left behind. You were sure he would do great things.</p><p>The day of the move-in had arrived and the entire complex was abuzz with activity. Several of your new neighbors came down to introduce themselves. A few of the older women tore themselves away from their rocking chairs and daytime TV to bring homecooked meals. You had a feeling they would get used to doting on you since you were the youngest ones to be living in the complex.</p><p>You had all the brawn you needed to unload the furniture and move it into the apartment. Graduation money you’d received from relatives was useful in making sure your families didn’t foot the entire bill. Kuroo’s room had been empty so he got his own bed. The one in the master bedroom was Mr. Dobashi’s and you weren’t comfortable sleeping on it, so you exchanged it. You had a new couch, coffee table, entertainment stand and wall décor.</p><p>The cabinets and fridge were quickly stocked with food. That way you had no excuse to be skipping meals. Little things like kitchen appliances, silverware and dishware were put away in their new spaces. It was incredible how much a new apartment needed to make it livable.</p><p>“Thanks so much for your help, guys. You’re awesome!” you gushed. While Kaori, Yukie, Yaku and Kenma did a lot of the unpacking, Bokuto, Minoru and Akaashi were the ones tasked with heavy lifting. Were you enjoying the show? Absolutely. Would you tell them that? Nope!</p><p>“We’re happy to help! It was a good workout!” Minoru lifted an arm and rolled his shoulder. You didn’t miss the way the sweat made his tanktop stick to his skin. “Everyone make sure to hydrate!”</p><p>“Yeah, Kaori’s <em>really</em> thirsty,” Yukie quipped, making her best friend elbow her in the stomach. Could you really blame her for staring? You averted your eyes just so you wouldn’t be singled out for it, too.</p><p>Minoru gave Kuroo some tips on how to navigate through the neighborhood and keep alert at all times. Kaori and Yukie made plans with you to go shopping for clothes before the new school year started. You and Akaashi chatted about your new job that you’d be starting in a week or so. Kenma and Yaku were busy setting up the TV and gaming system since that was obviously a priority. Bokuto was busy helping out the elderly woman from upstairs take down her laundry because she asked him too sweetly for him to say no.</p><p>As it grew dark and the moving truck emptied, everyone took their turns in saying goodbye. The cars pulled away from the building as your families left.</p><p>“See you later, Kou.” You embraced him to keep his tears at bay. “We’ll hang out soon, okay?”</p><p>He didn’t respond. If anything, he only tightened his arms around you. You patted his back at first, but you soon realized he had no intention of letting you go. Bokuto hauled you off the ground and you let out a sharp gasp as you were suspended midair.</p><p>“Bokuto! Put her down!”</p><p>He stubbornly turned from Kaori and Yukie, who ran over to try and placate him. “She’s coming with me,” Bokuto announced. “I don’t want her to move!”</p><p>“Kou!” You struggled against him, trying so hard not to lose your temper. You knew he was only acting like this because he was devastated at such a big change. “I went overseas for a year and you’re still one of my best friends! I’ll still be in Tokyo. We’ll make time for each other, I promise.”</p><p>He pouted and whined before his arms loosened. He set you down as carefully as he could. You weren’t sure whether you should be impressed with his ability to hold you up given your weight, or if you should be livid that he was about to run off with you.</p><p>“Okay,” he mumbled.</p><p>“Bokuto, you can’t throw a tantrum every time she does something you don’t like,” Akaashi scolded him.</p><p>“Yeah. You keep saying you want to become a cool, mature guy for her. This is like, the opposite of that.”</p><p>Bokuto’s face went red and he stammered out an excuse. You weren’t sure who was more embarrassed, him or you.</p><p>The rest of your friends left and you watched them disappear down the street. You and Kuroo were exhausted. You’d gotten up early to prepare for today and you still had some things to unpack over the next few days. You didn’t even get to chat much because you were being pulled in opposite directions the entire time.</p><p>“Want to watch a movie?”</p><p>“Heck yes. I need to zone out for a couple of hours.”</p><p>Even though you had the supplies to cook, you ordered takeout instead. You and Kuroo lounged on the couch together, huddled up in a blanket as the TV flashed a myriad of colorful images against the darkened room. You picked from each other’s boxes of food and made snide comments on the terrible plot and acting.</p><p>“Hey, gimme your plate. I’ll throw it away.”</p><p>“Thanks. I’m gonna go take a shower, actually.”</p><p>“Yeah, you smell like Bokuto’s b.o. and tears.”</p><p>“Gross!”</p><p>You closed the door behind you, placed the change of clothes on the sink, and shucked off what you were wearing. You didn’t feel like taking a long soak, mostly because you were sure Kuroo wanted to get cleaned up, too. You washed yourself on the stool and dumped buckets full of warm water over your body, the suds sinking into the drain and disappearing from view.</p><p>You stood up to dry off and that was when you realized your predicament.</p><p>“Um…Tetsurou?” You called from the bathroom. Silence. “Tetsurou?” You called a little louder.</p><p>The door handle wiggled and you screeched as he attempted to open it. You put your entire body weight on it.</p><p>“Dude! Don’t come in, I’m naked!”</p><p>“Then why are you calling me? I thought you saw a spider or something.” His muffled voice behind the door made it a little hard to discern his tone.</p><p>“I…need a towel.” You swallowed hard. “I thought we put them in here, but I guess it’s still outside. Can you get me one?”</p><p>“Uh…yeah, sure.” He moved away from the door and you could hear him shuffling around, cursing when he bumped his toe against one of the heavier boxes. You jerked when you heard him knock against the door to get your attention. “I got one.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>You opened the door a crack and stretched your hand out. His fingers brushed against yours in the process. You were ashamed of how hot your face was from such an inane gesture. As soon as you had a good grip on the soft cotton, you yanked your hand backwards and drew the towel around your body.</p><p>“You alright?”</p><p>“Yes, thank you. It’s freezing in here.” You shuddered and did your best to rub the warmth back into your clammy skin.</p><p>Once you were sure you had dried off enough, you got dressed into your pajamas. It felt like heaven. You stepped out after hanging the towel and made a beeline for your room.</p><p>You heard Kuroo go into the bathroom not long after you did. You hoped you didn’t leave it too messy for him. You spent the next fifteen minutes trying to forget the fact that he nearly walked in on you naked. Sheesh. You gazed down at your body and poked at your stomach, your finger bouncing back. You wondered what he would’ve done if he <em>had</em> seen you. What did he imagine you looked like, anyway?</p><p>Before heading to bed, you decided to grab your charger from the living room table. You were on your way back to your room when the bathroom door opened. You nearly dropped what was in your hand when you drank in the sight.</p><p>Kuroo was finished with his shower, alright. His hair was damp and slicked back. Steam wafted out from behind him, haloing around his body and bringing your attention to the wealth of skin before you. He was shirtless. Shirtless with a towel wrapped around his waist, the slim curve of his torso dipping down toward his hip bones. You’d always been painfully aware of how muscular he was, but after a year of not seeing him in this state of dress, it was clear how he’d bulked up. A single droplet he’d missed teased you by slipping down from the hollow of his throat and between his pecs, disappearing beneath the towel.</p><p>You weren’t sure if your brain shorting out caused you to openly ogle him for a full minute or if it had been only a few seconds. Whatever the case, you did your best to pretend like it didn’t bother you. You shot him a smile and lifted up your charger so he could see what you’d been looking for.</p><p>“I’m gonna head to bed, it’s been a long day.”</p><p>“Alright. Hey…” Kuroo broke out into a grin. “Want me to turn the heater up?”</p><p>“Um…I think I’ll be fine once I get under the covers, but thanks anyway. See you tomorrow.”</p><p>“Cool. I’ll make breakfast.”</p><p>He headed into his room and closed the door as you did the same. As soon as you were safely within the confines of your room, you dashed over to grab your phone. You opened up the group chat you had with Kaori and Yukie and furiously typed the one thing that was on your mind.</p><p>
  <em>Guys, I made a HUGE FREAKING MISTAKE MOVING IN WITH TETSUROU! HE’S TOO HOT! WHAT HAVE I DONE!?!?!?</em>
</p><p>As you waited for their response, you glanced up and took a look at yourself in the mirror. You were mortified to see that the thin nightshirt you grabbed was <em>very clearly</em> making it clear to the world how your boobs felt about the temperature in the apartment. You screamed internally and considered throwing yourself out the window so you could run home.</p><p>
  <em>We told you so. :P</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Good luck! You’re gonna need it!</em>
</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I could've stretched this chapter out even further but I was like, "No, I need to move forward. The readers need more Kuroo time!" If Spring High and the exam period seems rushed, that's why.</p><p>As always, thank you all very, very much for all your support with this fic. I have a blast writing it and interacting with you.</p><p>Stay safe and have a great week! (And if you're in the U.S. like I am, bundle up + stay warm!)</p>
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<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Author's Note</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hi everyone, I wanted to sincerely apologize to you all because there won't be a new chapter this week.</p>
<p>Long story short, I live in TX, and this past week's severe snowstorm left me without power for a total of ~6 days. I wasn't really able to focus on writing because I was more concerned with keeping myself and my pets warm in the freezing temps.</p>
<p>I hate not being able to update and I hope the next chapter I do post will make up for it.</p>
<p>Thank you for your understanding!<br/>-isayantasi</p>
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<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Tightrope</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You and Kuroo realize that neither of you are truly happy with the way things stand.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wanted to thank everyone very much for your kindness and understanding last week. It means a lot. I genuinely hope you enjoy this chapter, and that it makes up for me having to take a week to recollect myself after Winter Storm Uri.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You shifted and cracked your eyes open a sliver. The dim room was now bursting with natural sunlight and bathing your scarce furniture in its welcoming warmth. Your head was fuzzy and despite having no blanket swathing your figure, you were comfortable and content in the temperature of the room. You yawned and sat up, the back of the couch bestowing you a very creative new hairstyle, and heard the very same sound that roused you from your impromptu nap.</p><p>“Tetsurou?” you slurred. “Are you home?”</p><p>You heard him laugh from somewhere in the apartment. “Yeah. Just got back from my jog and thought I could help you out with the chores since you were crashed out so hard.”</p><p>With his words and the realization of what he was doing, you rolled off the couch and clambered to your feet. “Wait! I can do it!”</p><p>You burst out of the room and onto the balcony, where a pile of fresh laundry was thrown haphazardly into your shared basket. Kuroo was already fresh and clean from a shower. You watched him grab a garment from the pile, stretching it between both index fingers, before he clipped it onto the clothesline to hang it up.</p><p>“Hey, what’re you doing?” he grunted, preventing you from hiding the basket behind your back. “I’ve still got a bunch to do.”</p><p>“Don’t bother. I’ll do it.” You really hoped he would drop the issue, though you knew that was impossible given his track record for teasing the hell out of you. “I told you I was in charge of laundry.”</p><p>“Yeah, but you flaked out and ended up sleeping through the wash cycle. If I didn’t put these up, they’d get that gross moldy smell.”</p><p>“Ugh.” You kept a firm grip on the rim of the basket. “Listen, dude. I picked this job for a reason, okay? It’s embarrassing to have someone else hang up and take down your laundry. Don’t you ever think about why I end up doing it early in the morning while you’re busy?”</p><p>He chuckled and paid you no mind, reaching for the piece of clothing that caught his eye. You weren’t fast enough to stop him. You watched in horror as he uncrumpled the ball and shook it out to see its full shape.</p><p>“I just kind of figured you’d have cuter underwear, is all.”</p><p>You didn’t bother hiding how flustered you were. The basket fell to the ground with a clatter and thankfully it didn’t tip over. You reached for the panties to no avail. Kuroo held it high above his head with that smug grin on his face. He craned his neck up to get a better look at it in the sunlight.</p><p>“Give it back!”</p><p>“Come on, it’s not that big of a deal, is it? You wash my boxers all the time.”</p><p>“That is so different and you know it! Guys can walk around in their boxers and no one gives a shit. If I were to go around the apartment in nothing but my panties with the curtains open, you know people would talk!”</p><p>“Wouldn’t that be something?” he mused. “I think I’d like to see that. Besides, this is just plain cotton underwear. Not sexy at all. I was expecting—”</p><p>“What, silk? Lace? Thongs? Are you kidding me? Even if I did own any of that stuff, I wouldn’t wear it on a daily basis. It’s not practical. Cotton is comfortable and it helps things breathe – wait, why am I even humoring you? Let me do my own laundry, you huge perv!”</p><p>You backed him up against the railing. He was still trying to play keep-away with you. It wasn’t cute. He was getting on your nerves. You pinned him up against the bars and refused to let him leave. He would run into the apartment and make you give chase all around the furniture if you weren’t careful.</p><p>“You could’ve at least picked red to show your allegiance to Nekoma.”</p><p>“Oh, shut up!”</p><p>Neither of you realized that the railing wasn’t as sturdy as you thought. With your combined weight, the nails struggling to maintain their hold finally gave up. You heard a sharp sound and shrieked as Kuroo toppled backwards. His hands shot out and he attempted to grip your shirt to maintain his balance. Instead, you careened into him full force as the both of you flopped haphazardly onto the freshly mowed grass right outside the apartment.</p><p>You groaned in pain, Kuroo following suit. He landed on the hard metal and cushioned your fall, though it was still unexpected enough that you couldn’t brace yourself for it. You pushed your upper half up and came to the horrifying conclusion that you were nose to nose. You could’ve kissed him if you wanted. All it would take is a slight dip of your head and those luscious lips would be all yours!</p><p>Kuroo’s eyes were trained on you. His mouth was slightly parted. You licked your lips and bent down further so you could whisper in his ear.</p><p>“You’re calling the maintenance guy to fix the railing.”</p><p>Pulling away from him, you saw his eyes were closed and the tension melted from his face. What was he doing? You forced yourself to back up and instead sat on his lap, knees locked on either side of his legs.</p><p>“Awfully early to be getting frisky, darlings,” one of the women from upstairs called as she strode across the communal garden. Her wide-brimmed hat did nothing to hide the broad grin on her face. “Not that I mind the show!”</p><p>You huffed under your breath and snatched the underwear that he’d still kept in an iron clad grip. Good to know he had his priorities straight.</p><p>Living with a guy had its perks. Sure, you had eye candy and he always volunteered to kill bugs, open brand new jars (which you could honestly do on your own), and he carried the groceries when you went shopping. He was also a slob, though. He tested your patience every day. He left dishes in the sink, still had to be reminded to save you hot water in the mornings, and refused to admit that he had been using your so-called “fancy” shampoo that was literally just scented like something other than cheap cologne.</p><p>“Tetsurou!” you bellowed. “What the fuck?! I told you to always check to make sure the damn toilet seat is down!”</p><p>“Shit, sorry!”</p><p>You’d fallen into the toilet at least three times in the past month. It was always a shocking experience. No woman should ever know what it feels like to be weightless and eventually thrown into an ice-cold bath her butt didn’t ask for.</p><p>“Dude, there’s like not even a mouthful of milk left in this carton.”</p><p>“I’ll go buy some later today after work.”</p><p>“That doesn’t help the bowl of cereal I just poured!”</p><p>“Uh…oops.”</p><p>Kuroo was used to living with his dad and grandparents. They must have kept the house in order while he was at school. The fridge and pantry were always full. You, however, lived on your own for all of your high school years. You knew what it was like to forget to shop and then realize the same night that the pasta you boiled needed sauce to be edible. Or how you would blow off defrosting meat and come home starving, attempting to bake frozen chicken in an hour.</p><p>At least he was trying. Some guys wouldn’t even bother. You did recognize the little victories. Even if he was being a jerk in teasing you about the laundry, he wanted to help you out a little bit. He did make rice without you having to ask him now. He also dusted the top of the cabinets every time you cleaned, too. It was just awkward sometimes living with someone else when their habits were so far removed from your own.</p><p>The biggest perk by far was the goodies he would bring home from work.</p><p>“Hey, they’re working on this new cake flavor and I snagged the failed one for dessert tonight.” He would drop the box onto the kitchen counter with a triumphant grin. “And tomorrow they’re starting those seasonal parfaits, I’m gonna snag a couple and bring ‘em when we meet for lunch.”</p><p>Kuroo’s part-time job was at a cake shop down the street from the library you worked at. It was a well-established place. They sold all kinds of things: gelato, ice cream, pudding, tarts. It wasn’t his first choice, but it was something. He worked the register for now. You already warned the pastry chef that he shouldn’t be trusted in the kitchens because he couldn’t bake to save his life. Kuroo didn’t even bother arguing.</p><p>Still, it was nice to see him in his work outfit, which consisted of dark pants, a white dress shirt, a tie, and a long black apron he had to learn to fasten himself (after many, many tutorials from you). You were in charge of picking out the ties since he didn’t really care about the designs or colors. That was always fun. You’d never tell him this, but he honestly looked good in anything he wore.</p><p>You were settled now, which was great, because the school year was starting tomorrow. You would have to say goodbye to the peaceful days spent zoning out after work. Things would pick up soon with added study time and homework. You were not looking forward to it.</p><p>“Man, that guy was not happy when I gave him a call,” Kuroo muttered. “Why’d you make me talk to him? He’s always way nicer to you.”</p><p>“Because if it wasn’t for you, we’d still have a railing attached to the balcony. You’re lucky we’re on the first floor.”</p><p>He grabbed the plastic bag from the table and brought it over to the couch. “I got you something on the way home.”</p><p>“Hm?” You untied it and gingerly lifted out the brand-new spiral notebook. It had an adorable design on the outside. “Aw, I love it! Where’d you see this?”</p><p>“Some little shop I pass by all the time. Glad you like it. I can only imagine what kinda horrors that notebook’s gonna see by the end of the year.”</p><p>“You’re telling me.” You flipped through the lined pages and the anger from earlier melted away. He sure knew how to get back on your good side. “Do you have your alarms set for tomorrow?”</p><p>“Yeah. I made the walk yesterday and I think if we leave here by seven, we’ll be good to check the campus out again.”</p><p>“Hey, I just want to make sure I don’t get lost!”</p><p>Keio University was a sight to behold, and you weren’t just saying that because it was going to be your alma mater. The campus felt like its own little oasis in the otherwise cramped and compact buildings around it. You and Kuroo had already visited several times to check things out, mostly because your anxiety said so. You scoped out a few places you could meet up for lunch or between classes.</p><p>Because you were both entering in the same year, you picked out a lot of classes together to get your prerequisites out of the way.</p><p>You already knew that you would be pursuing a degree in literature. It was a subject you loved and working together with one of your favorite authors showed you how rewarding (if difficult) it could be.</p><p>Kuroo wasn’t so sure yet and you thought that was okay. He focused so much on volleyball throughout your lives. He wanted to be involved in the sport without playing, you knew that much. You brainstormed off and on together on what he could do, though you’d both come up empty for now.</p><p>You were overwhelmed by the sheer size of the crowds as they moved up the giant flight of stairs to enter the main area. Keio hosted a lot of international students. You could see people from all walks of life pushing forward like they belonged here. You made sure to keep close to Kuroo so neither of you would get swept away from each other.</p><p>“How am I supposed to get anything done knowing you’re probably making faces at me or something?” You teased him as you drank in the atmosphere ahead. The buildings were enormous and littered with glass windows which marked each classroom, study room, student lounge and cafeteria inside. “And you’d better remember to bring pencils with you, I’m not sharing from the cool case you got me.”</p><p>Kuroo snickered. “How do you think I got through Nekoma?”</p><p>“With sheer luck.”</p><p>As simple as the architecture was on the outside, the main lobby itself was a sight to behold. Everything inside was pristine and updated to give the entire university a more modern feel. The only thing somewhat out of place was a traditional bulletin board that posted notices about international exchange student programs. Been there, done that. You weren’t even going to entertain that idea.</p><p>The classes were cozy enough to be held in decent-sized rooms. You heard horror stories about large universities with lectures in massive auditoriums as everyone struggled to even see the presentations from whichever seat they managed to snag. Each class would be about an hour and half at the most. The course load wasn’t too heavy, either, as explained by Minoru’s cousin. It gave you a chance to join a circle – or a student-run club – and focus on part-time work.</p><p>You and Kuroo sat next to each other in the classroom. It was so nice not having assigned seats. You set your bag down and rifled through to grab the notebook and a mechanical pencil. You knew that the first few weeks of classes would likely be a lot of introductions and easing people into the material, but it didn’t hurt to be ready.</p><p>You spent the remainder of the morning in lectures. Getting back into the groove of classes was a little difficult at first. You found your thoughts wandering a few times and you had to snap back into attention. You’d chosen some seats near the back and you were thankful for it. You didn’t need to feel like the people behind you were staring or anything. You knew that your size wasn’t in the spotlight ALL the time, but believing that fact was a work in progress.</p><p>As you broke for lunch, you and Kuroo decided to find somewhere to eat. You brought food for the both of you. The food here was surprisingly cheap but using your hard-earned money on meals every day added up. You wanted to cut costs as best you could so you could live comfortably and not check to check like a lot of other people did.</p><p>The seventh floor hosted a beautiful outdoor area for students to eat and study. It wasn’t disgustingly hot outside because you were still in spring’s gentle embrace. Kuroo found an open table and you gravitated toward it together. The balcony was decorated with several brightly green plants thriving in the temperature outside. The roof gave you shade, and a pleasant breeze was able to travel through the opening that gave you a full view of the campus if you approached it.</p><p>“I never knew you were so serious in class,” Kuroo laughed. “You’re gonna get some serious wrinkles if you don’t quit while you’re ahead.”</p><p>You brushed away his hand as he attempted to touch your face. “I was concentrating! I didn’t want to miss anything important.”</p><p>“We’ve got the entire semester to keep up, I think you’ll be okay.”</p><p>To anyone else, you might’ve looked like you were flirting. This was the norm for you, or so you thought. It’d been well over a year since you came back to Japan. Everyone expected you and Kuroo to start dating within days of meeting up again. When that didn’t happen, they instead bet on you getting back together once you became roommates. You weren’t sure what it was, but there was still this invisible line that neither of you were bold enough to cross.</p><p>It was disappointing. It wasn’t like living with him was easy. Sometimes you wondered if he was waiting for you to make a move. You were stubborn, though. You felt like you’d been the one to initiate your original days as a couple. You were the one who held off on doing anything for so long. You didn’t want to put yourself out there, only to get crushed because you were misreading things. If he wanted to date you, then why didn’t he just go for it?</p><p>“Let’s go find somewhere to take a quick nap.”</p><p>“Seriously?” You followed him out the door as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. “You’re usually the one with a ton of energy.”</p><p>“Yeah, but this job is wringing me out, then my brain’s gonna be fried later if I don’t close my eyes for a little bit.”</p><p>You found a tree big enough for the two of you to sit under. You weren’t at all surprised when you stretched your legs out and Kuroo helped himself to using your lap as a pillow. If you had any pride, you would’ve shoved him off. Instead, you let him pass out as you kept tabs on the time so neither of you would be late for your next class.</p><p>As you gazed down at his serene expression, you wondered if maybe Kuroo didn’t want to be in a relationship. You spent all your free time together. You exchanged acts of affection even if it wasn’t the heavy makeout sessions and incessant pawing you did to each other when you were pent-up first years in high school. You were painfully domestic at home and in public. Even now he was engaged in something intimate without batting an eye. Were you doomed for this kind of thing forever? Was he comfortable in letting your relationship be vague, messy, and undefined?</p><p>The alarm on your phone went off and you realized Kuroo hadn’t stirred at all. He was so vulnerable right now, unaware and unbothered by the throng of students who went past you and could make judgmental comments under their breath. You sighed and shifted your body, hoping it would wake him up, but no dice. He simply furrowed his brow and his eyes twitched before his chest went back into an even rhythm.</p><p>“Tetsurou,” you murmured, brushing that unruly lock out of hair out of his right eye. “We’ll be late if you don’t wake up.”</p><p>A mischievous grin crossed his face and he cracked an eye open to peer at you.</p><p>“You’ve been awake this whole time?”</p><p>“How could I not wake up when you were using that voice with me?” He made a move to sit up and shook his hair out to rid himself of any rebellious strands of grass that managed to weave their way into his hair somehow.</p><p>“What voice?”</p><p>“The same one you use for babies and animals.” He stretched his arms high above his head and rolled his neck around. “Man, your thighs are unreal.”</p><p>You swallowed your embarrassment and stood up before he could, gathering your things to walk off back toward the classrooms. “Do you ever hear yourself sometimes?”</p><p>He scrambled after you and nearly tripped on a tree root in the process. “Not my fault they’re soft. Don’t let anyone else use ‘em, alright? I call dibs.”</p><p>He phrased it as a joke. You would’ve believed him, if not for the trace of sincerity in those dark eyes of his.</p><p>The rest of the day was more of the same. You and Kuroo both had to work a shift tonight and as such you wouldn’t be able to eat dinner until much later. You headed back home to change into your work clothes.</p><p>“Did you pick out my tie for tonight yet?” Kuroo called from the bathroom.</p><p>“Uh…nope. I’ll go grab one, if that’s okay.”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>You hesitated in letting yourself into his room. It wasn’t bad in terms of cleanliness. None of his decorations were racy or provocative. He kept a few portraits on the wall of memories from high school. You even had his Nekoma uniform in a shadowbox off to the side. He had his own small TV, a couple of nightstands and a large dresser.</p><p>What got to you was the overpowering smell of cologne between these four walls. It reminded you of the lengthy embraces you used to share when you stole away for a moment to yourselves. You tried to pretend it didn’t bother you, but it was tied to so many romantic memories that it always jarred you at first.</p><p>The dresser was full of ties he’d haphazardly thrown in there. You’d pick one and he would iron it out quickly before leaving. The shop was pretty lax when it came to what he could wear. You nixed the idea of the one with obnoxious cartoon volleyballs. Bokuto suggested it when you told him you were in charge of choosing which ones Kuroo wore.</p><p>As you pulled the drawer out, you yanked a little too hard on the handle. It broke off and slipped out of your fingers, rolling underneath the bed before you could even think of reaching out for it. Damn it. You groaned and dropped to your hands and knees to see where it went, only for the darkness to consume it entirely.</p><p>You switched on the flashlight feature on your phone and stuck it underneath the frame of the bed. Where did that stupid thing go? You were flicking the beam so quickly that you didn’t catch the objects staring at you right in the face.</p><p>Ah, yes. A guy’s best friends. A tissue box and lotion. Well. You didn’t ever need to see that in your entire life. You zeroed in on the handle mocking you from its spot. Of course it happened to be right next to the very thing that caused about a thousand different questions to run through your head.</p><p>Kuroo jerked it? In here? While you were next door? Did he do it when you were home, or wait until you were at work/sleeping/in the shower? How often did he do it? Did he watch porn on his phone? Did he have an old-school stash of magazines around somewhere? Or did he rely on his imagination? Did he ever fantasize about someone? Did he ever fantasize about <em>you</em>?</p><p>You pulled yourself out from under the bed. You held the stupid little broken handle in your palm. You squeezed it tighter than it would’ve liked it if was alive and in fact antagonizing you on purpose.</p><p>“What’re you doing?”</p><p>You nearly jumped out of your skin. Kuroo stood in the doorway, toweling off his hair, looking at you bleary-eyed and curious. Why did he insist on walking around in a towel? Didn’t he know what it did to you?! He had to. You averted your eyes from the absolute vision below his neckline.</p><p>“This stupid thing broke off,” you mumbled, holding it up as evidence. “Sorry. I guess I’ll have to ask the maintenance guy nicely if he’ll re-attach it when he comes over.”</p><p>“Yeah, he’s got a serious crush on you. I bet he will.”</p><p>“You’re gross, he’s like in his fifties. I’m not that desperate for a date.”</p><p>You went to stand up and realized that in your few minutes of crisis over Kuroo’s sexual habits, your legs had fallen asleep. You made a small noise in annoyance and wobbled when you stood up. Kuroo approached you with his hands already outstretched so he could steady you. In doing so, he let go of the edge of the towel resting against his waist. The fabric pulled apart at his sudden move and in a split second ended up fluttering to the floor in a heap.</p><p>Don’t.</p><p>Look.</p><p>Down.</p><p>SHIT!!!</p><p>Your eyes dropped down to what was hanging between his legs. Now you knew exactly what the stash under his bed was working with. The heat rose to your face before you could stop it. In all your years of friendship and awkward moments, you’d never seen the very thing that haunted your fantasies. It shouldn’t have shocked you so much. It did. Especially when you realized that what was soft and harmless had now gotten firmer and stood taller under your blatant stare.</p><p>Kuroo’s hand drifted down to cup himself as he stepped backwards from you. You took this opportunity to book it out of the room, shouting an apology as you ran away.</p><p>Absolutely not. Nope. Did not need this before work. How were you going to walk with him?! The answer was obvious: you weren’t. You locked the door behind you and threw yourself underneath the covers.</p><p>You almost caved and reached for your phone so you could call in sick. How would you even explain it? “Sorry, boss. I can’t <em>come</em> in today. I know you <em>dictate</em> the rules on calling in short notice, but it’s<em> hard</em> for me to even think straight with this fever I caught!”</p><p>You heard Kuroo shuffle in his room. He was in a rush. He grabbed his housekey from the counter and shot out the door. He technically needed to be at work sooner than you did, and you had some time to kill before you needed to leave, so that was fine. Just. Fine.</p><p>You managed to gather yourself up and made the short trek to work. Your head pounded the entire time you fell in line with other people commuting at this time of night. You had to get it together. Underneath the towering buildings and the office lights raining down on you to display a path right to the library, you tried to figure out how you could ease some of the awkwardness between you the next time you were face to face.</p><p>“Hey, girly,” your coworker Sora called out to you. “How was your first day of class?”</p><p>“Ah, it was okay, thanks.” You turned and shot her a smile. “Are you still planning on picking back up next semester?”</p><p>“Yeah. Needed the break to work more hours.”</p><p>She followed you to the back room where you could drop off your things. You had talked here and there since you worked the same daytime shift during your spring break. Now that school picked up, you wouldn’t see each other as much. She had a second job as a bartender at a well-known place down the street.</p><p>“Question…” She jumped up on the table as you placed your purse in the locker. “Do you ever go out? Like to unwind?”</p><p>“Um…not really.” You already had a bad feeling about this. “Why?”</p><p>She ran a hand through her cropped black hair. It was always startling to see how handsome and masculine she looked when doing so. She wore a lot of collared shirts and slacks to work and was the one who taught you how to do several different methods of knots for ties.</p><p>“A few of my friends are going to a mixer this weekend and they’re having trouble getting enough girls. If you’re not doing anything, it’d help me out to have you there. They’ve already got a girl in mind to set me up with, but they said they’d have to cancel if I didn’t bring someone to even out the numbers. And as far as I know, she’s pretty shy, so the group date was the best way to get her there.”</p><p>That was understandable. Sora complained often that she had slim pickings when it came to the dating scene. She had a long list of ex-girlfriends who lived in the area and while she remained on good terms with most of them, the others tended to badmouth her to the girls they knew. She had a little bit of a reputation as a heartbreaker when she was younger. You could see why. Looking at her on the street, one would think she worked as an actor or model. She was tall, slim, had an eye for men’s fashion, and the sort of disarming smile that made passersby do a double take. You’d seen it happen before.</p><p>“Well…”</p><p>“Please?” she begged, scooching closer to you with her dark brown eyes sparkling. “I’ll make it up to you.”</p><p>You’d never been to a mixer before. Kaori and Yukie attended a few during high school and they always ended in disaster. You figured it was mostly because a lot of the guys were immature and tended to turn the girls off with their obnoxious antics. Now that you were a little older, you hoped that it wouldn’t be as painful.</p><p>“Okay, okay. I’ll go. I don’t know how much use I’ll be.”</p><p>“What’re you talking about? You’re perfect. Don’t worry, my friends put on an act, but they’re actually harmless when it comes to girls. I’m usually the one setting them up and giving them advice.”</p><p>You spent the rest of the night worrying over what you’d gotten yourself into. You forgot all about the initial awkwardness of your run-in with Kuroo until you were halfway home. You had no idea what the mood would be like. Should you act casual and pretend it never happened? Crack a joke? You didn’t want to tease him about it because it wasn’t his fault. It was just your terrible luck.</p><p>You knew you had to talk about it. It wouldn’t do either of you any good to dance around each other. You were classmates and roommates. You had been best friends for years. Then why were you so afraid to hear what he would say?</p><p>You approached the apartment door and saw Kuroo had his key in the lock. He was twisting it so carefully that it seemed like he was trying to slip inside unnoticed. You got off work a little later than normal and he thought for sure you were inside. To save him the trouble of acting sneaky, you cleared your throat and watched his entire body jerk at the sound.</p><p>“Hi.” You kept your distance from him. “I had to stick around and help this desperate kid find this book someone misplaced, so…”</p><p>“Makes sense.” He turned so he was facing you, though not fully. It was difficult to see his full expression between his hairstyle and the shadows that the dim porchlight cast on his face. “Everything go okay otherwise?”</p><p>“Yeah. Not too bad.” You took a cautious step forward and surveyed him for any major discomfort, but if he felt it, he didn’t let it show. “You?”</p><p>“Let’s just say I got put in the kitchen for the first time and it didn’t go well.”</p><p>You laughed. He grinned in response. With the atmosphere a little less tense, you walked past him and through the door he held open for you.</p><p>The apartment seemed so much smaller now that you were hyperaware of each other. You fell into your routine. You took out some leftovers from the fridge to heat it up. He went to go change and take a quick shower. You turned on the TV and tried to pick a safe channel, something that you could watch without having to focus too much.</p><p>Kuroo exited in his pajamas. He grabbed the plate you handed his way and the two of you settled on the couch together. You were sitting on opposite sides which wasn’t normal. Usually you ended up in a tangle of limbs and blankets with all of your shifting around.</p><p>A commercial break started and you saw his plate was empty. He set it down on the table and drew himself up onto the couch. This was your chance.</p><p>“Um, Tetsurou, about earlier,” you began. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I should’ve been paying more attention. I didn’t even realize my legs were asleep.”</p><p>He shot you a smile, though it wasn’t genuine. “Don’t sweat it, it happens. I didn’t tie the towel tight enough, you know how it is.”</p><p>“Yeah, but I don’t want you to be embarrassed. Because you…well…”</p><p>His expression fell flat. “That? That was, uh, just kind of an automatic reaction. Not like I had anything to do with it. It could’ve been any other girl and the same thing would’ve happened, so you don’t have to worry about it.”</p><p>You didn’t realize that would be such a huge blow to your ego. <em>It could’ve been any other girl.</em> In other words, you weren’t special. It wasn’t because he was turned on or sexually attracted to you. You just happened to be the one in the room. Did he think that it would be a relief to you saying something like that?</p><p>Oh. You’d been deluding yourself this entire time. You were looking for signs that weren’t even there. Kuroo’s so-called flirtations with you were anything but. It was normal banter between you now. When he rested on your lap earlier, he found you comfortable and childishly stated he didn’t want to share because you were a good pillow. That was it. He didn’t get excited when he saw you walking around in your oversized t-shirts and shorts even though nearly all the romance gurus on earth said it was irresistible. You weren’t even on his radar anymore. You were someone he could use to express his occasional sexual frustration and nothing more.</p><p>“I get it.” You grabbed your plate from the table and stood up, trying so hard to keep your back to him so he wouldn’t see the mixture of humiliation and horror on your face. “Anyways, I’m pretty tired so I’m going to shower and then go to bed. See you tomorrow.”</p><p>You saved the tears for when you were safely in your room. You’d buried yourself in a mountain of blankets and refused to cry loud enough where he could hear you through the walls. You curled into a small ball and wrapped your arms around your stomach. You squeezed your flesh. Was this what ruined your chances? He never minded it before, but a lot of time passed. Maybe he realized he wasn’t into it anymore and he preferred girls who were…thinner, more athletic? Petite? You had no idea what the sudden change was from. It hurt like hell.</p><p>It all made sense why he hadn’t made a move yet. He wasn’t ever going to. You were an idiot for thinking that he was still interested after all this time. He didn’t want to be in a relationship. Why would he? He was fine with having you around to cook, clean and pal around with him. You weren’t someone he wanted to date anymore.</p><p>You got up that morning and dressed up as you usually would. You didn’t waste your time trying to figure out whether the puffiness in your face had settled down. It was as good as it was going to get. Kuroo was in the living room waiting for you so you could head off together. Contrary to how you felt, he seemed completely lax, as if last night’s conversation never happened.</p><p>“Aren’t you gonna bring something for lunch?”</p><p>“I was thinking of grabbing something from the cafeteria.” You weren’t interested in packing you both matching lunches again. “But if you want to make your bento, you can.”</p><p>The walk to class was mostly silent. Kuroo tried to engage you in conversation several times. You told him you were tired. It was an excuse to keep your responses at a minimum. He kept trying and even resorted to teasing you to get any kind of reaction out of you. You didn’t take the bait.</p><p>You knew you were being childish. You were the one who told yourself it was better for you to talk things out instead of giving each other the silent treatment. You didn’t have the ability to rationalize those thoughts, though. You were too concerned with reliving that moment over and over again.</p><p>You managed to calm down by lunch time. Kuroo had no idea why you were pissed and it wasn’t fair to hold it against him. Maybe the old you would’ve kept pouting and throwing a tantrum. You had to let it go. He couldn’t have understood why it hurt you so much and you were too ashamed to tell him. You wanted to put it behind you.</p><p>“I’ll treat you.”</p><p>“It’s fine, I brought some money with me.” You stood in front of the vending machine. From its reflective surface you could see his brows knit together in concern. “But if you really want to…”</p><p>He grinned in relief and fished for his wallet. “Man, you didn’t get any sleep last night, huh?”</p><p>“Not really.” You wouldn’t go into details. “So, uh, I’m actually going to be hanging out with Sora this weekend for a little bit. She invited me out and I couldn’t really say no.”</p><p>“Heh, you’re always doing that. Well, that’s cool. I’ll probably stay in and watch Kenma’s stream, he’s got a ton of new viewers and I like trolling them in the chat.”</p><p>You wandered outside after lunch, just as you had the day before. You plopped down underneath a tree and Kuroo made a move to lay across your lap. This time, though, you drew your legs up. He didn’t even have a chance to ask you why. You used your thighs as a makeshift table to rest your textbook on so you could read through the assigned chapter.</p><p>Kuroo flopped backwards onto his backpack instead. He fell asleep almost instantly. You set the alarm on your phone. Instead of gently rousing him from his sleep, you told him it was time to get up. He gazed at you sleepily as you gathered your things and headed for the main classroom without him.</p><p>You set boundaries for the rest of the week because you felt like it was what you needed. You made sure that there was always space between you when you sat down together. You didn’t stand so close to him, nor did you hold hands when trying to get through the crowded campus. You gave him suggestions on his tie color instead of waltzing in his room to fish it out for him. You showed him how to do it himself so you didn’t have to. You changed into sweatpants instead of shorts at night. You didn’t share drinks or food with him.</p><p>The entire time he acted like everything was fine. He never brought up the sudden change in the apartment and you weren’t sure if you should be relieved or disappointed.</p><p>Kuroo managed the register and had good rapport with regulars at the shop, always making sure to include an extra pastry just for them. The younger girls who frequented the place were head over heels for him. They would spend their entire allowances just to catch a glimpse of him as they shoveled sweets into their mouths. He was always charismatic and easy to talk to.</p><p>Except this week. He was losing his mind.</p><p>Kuroo nearly knocked over one of the little old ladies who came by every day for something to bring home to her husband. She was stepping outside the shop and he was so absorbed in his thoughts he didn’t realize she was there. He caught her before she hit the ground and thanked whoever was listening that she didn’t end up breaking something.</p><p>“Oh, my,” she giggled as he steadied her by the waist. “Are you alright, dear?”</p><p>“Sorry about that. I was a little distracted,” Kuroo admitted.</p><p>“Don’t worry about me. These bones of mine are tougher than you might think.” She raised a spindly arm and flexed it for good measure. “You look troubled.”</p><p>“Just adjusting to my new schedule. You sure you’re okay? You need me to walk you home or call your husband just in case?”</p><p>“I’ll be fine. You should take a few minutes yourself.” She reached up and he bent at the waist. She patted him firmly on the cheek before squeezing it between her thumb and index finger. “Whatever it is, I’m sure things will work out.”</p><p>Kuroo entered the shop a little sheepish at his exchange. He wasn’t one to get flustered or riled up so easily. He took off his coat and hung it up on the nearby rack before wheeling around the counter to dive right into his duties. He could hear the manager in the kitchen talking to his new apprentice and was thankful that he wouldn’t be dragged in there anytime soon after the last fiasco.</p><p>He was in the midst of checking the display cases when his newest coworker Imai approached him. He only started a couple of weeks ago and Kuroo had been the one responsible for doing most of his training for cashiering. They were the same age and had talked a little bit here and there, though the guy was usually cleaning up some kind of mess he made on his shift.</p><p>“Yo Kuroo, do you go to Keio?”</p><p>Kuroo nodded at him. “Yeah.”</p><p>“Aw, sweet, man! I thought I saw you around ca-campus but I wasn’t sure. You joined any clubs or circles yet?”</p><p>“Nah, not yet. Still trying to keep my head on straight between this job and classes.”</p><p>“I feel you. It’s wild.” Imai pushed his glasses up and gazed around the room. “None of those girls are here yet. They’ll probably storm in any mi-minute.”</p><p>Kuroo was used to hearing such things from the other employees. Girls, especially the ones in junior high, were enamored with him. It was embarrassing. He tried to act like it didn’t bother him, but their starry-eyed stares and rapt attention could be draining.</p><p>“I think you should just bring in that girl you’re always with and have her say she’s your girlfriend.” Imai shot him a knowing smile. “What’s the deal with you and her?”</p><p>“We’re friends.”</p><p>“You two never hooked…up?”</p><p>Kuroo didn’t want to think about you when he was trying to recollect himself. “Yeah, for about a year in high school. It didn’t work out.”</p><p>“Sorry, that sucks. It’s cool you guys are still on good terms. Not a lot of people can do that with their exes. Since you guys have d-dated before, I bet she’d be convincing in putting on a show for the girls in here.”</p><p>“I don’t think that’s a good idea. We’re in a weird place right now.”</p><p>Imai didn’t look it, but he was always on the prowl for gossip. “N-no shit? I saw you guys earlier this week and everything was cool, I thought for sure you two were a thing. I mean the way she looks at you alone…”</p><p>“Yeah, I have no clue what happened. She woke up in a shitty mood in the beginning of the week and it hasn’t been the same since. And don’t make a joke about her time of the month or whatever.”</p><p>“I-I wouldn’t. That’s lame.”</p><p>Kuroo didn’t have anyone else to talk to about his concerns. Reaching out to any of his high school buddies would be a death sentence. Yaku was one misunderstanding away from storming in and throwing his stuff out onto the street. Bokuto was clueless when it came to the complexities of your relationship. Kenma always felt like he was being pulled from both ends and he didn’t want to put that on his friend. Minoru was mature and might’ve had some good insight, but he was traveling right now. And Akaashi? Kuroo still had this wariness when it came to him. He honestly considered Akaashi his biggest love rival when it came down to it. The guy had always been sensitive and attentive to you. Ever since you came back it was ten times more obvious that he was carrying a torch for you.</p><p>He didn’t want to be indebted to Kaori and Yukie. He just didn’t have the cash right now to pay them back.</p><p>“If you wanna ask me something, just ask,” Imai laughed under his breath. “You look like you’re about to explode.”</p><p>“It’s just…like I said, we’re pretty close. I can’t think of what could’ve upset her. Except…well…the other night something awkward happened, but we talked through it. I don’t wanna go into details. Let’s just say it was a wardrobe malfunction.”</p><p>Imai’s brows rose. “You or her?”</p><p>“Me.”</p><p>“Huh.”</p><p>Kuroo chatted about the changes in your behavior. Imai mostly listened. They had to keep their voices low so the customers didn’t hear anything, and they pretended like nothing was amiss when the boss came out to check on them. Kuroo was glad he had someone to bounce ideas off of. Imai was a stranger at best, which meant he could see things from a more objective lens.</p><p>“You know what?” Imai’s face lit up and his caramel-colored eyes glinted in the cozy lighting of the shop. “Maybe it’s…something she can’t tell you. Like she met someone and she’s giving you the boot!”</p><p>“Dude.” Kuroo felt a stab in his chest. That didn’t seem likely, nor did it explain the complete one-eighty your attitude did. “There’s no way.”</p><p>Imai didn’t seem as convinced. “I think you’re just hoping that’s not it. You still have the hots for her. It’s o-obvious.”</p><p>Kuroo didn’t deny it because he knew it was true. No matter how much he tried to express how interested he was in you, he never took the plunge. The last time you dated, he screwed up royally. He still carried that guilt with him. He worked on himself and was positive that he had changed for the better, but he still had these lingering doubts that he was the best fit for you. Even with that knowledge, he couldn’t bring himself to step back and let someone else have a chance. He knew it was greedy and possessive. It wasn’t a good look for him.</p><p>“Did she mention anything out of the ordinary?”</p><p>His stomach twisted. “She’s usually cool with staying at home during the weekend, but she said her coworker invited her out.”</p><p>“That’s gotta be it. Bro, we have to find…out where they’re going.”</p><p>He had been curious about it. Usually you were open about these things. You would complain about where you were being dragged to or give details on the location, if only to ease his mind. This time? You were keeping it to yourself. He did try to fish for information. You didn’t give him what he was really looking for.</p><p>“I don’t know, man…”</p><p>“C-Come on! You like this girl, right? If you want things to go back to normal, then you’ve gotta put in the effort. Unless you’re cool with her moving on to someone else. I’ve gotta tell you, though, hearing your ex fooling around with her new guy in the next room isn’t gonna be healthy for you.”</p><p>He didn’t want to entertain those thoughts. He could see Imai wasn’t going to give this up easily and his own curiosity wouldn’t let him turn the idea down.</p><p>“Fine. But I’m not going to follow her around all night. We’ll just see where she goes and that’s that.”</p><p>“Awww, yeah.” Imai locked his fingers together and flipped them outward to stretch his arms. “This is gonna be fun!”</p><p>The first week of school was finally over. You were holed up in your room with your laptop on your bed, the camera facing the closet. Aniyah had called to check up on you and you were video chatting before you mentioned you had somewhere to be tonight. She pretty much demanded that she help you choose an outfit.</p><p>“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a ‘mixer’ before,” she laughed as she waved her hand, signaling for you to pick out something else from the massive horde of clothes she sent. “It’s a cool idea, though. I’m excited that you’re putting yourself out there. A year or two ago, I bet you would be on the verge of tears right now thinking about getting dressed up.”</p><p>“Well, it kind of helps when you have a fashionista friend who corrects all your bad thoughts.” You hesitated to show her the next one because you were positive she would go for it. “How are you and Devon doing?”</p><p>“Don’t tell him I told you, but I’m pretty sure he’s been ring shopping on the down low. I’ll act surprised when he asks.”</p><p>You weren’t going to tell her that he asked for your ring size since you and Aniyah weighed about the same. “No way. I can’t believe it.”</p><p>It was a good thing you weren’t talking in person, because she would’ve sniffed out your terrible acting skills immediately. “You’ll get an invite, don’t worry. Hey, did you see the pictures Jun posted of his new girlfriend? Girl. She is your <em>twin</em>.”</p><p>“Shut up. She and I don’t look that much alike.”</p><p>“Uh huh. From what he’s said, she’s really sweet. She works at a daycare and her little sister is taking guitar lessons from him. They’ve been together for like three months which is probably the longest relationship he’s ever had. I think it’s cute.”</p><p>“I’m really happy for him. I was worried.”</p><p>You took the plunge and selected The Outfit. Aniyah’s eyes flashed.</p><p>“You’ve been avoiding it on purpose, don’t think I didn’t notice.”</p><p>You held the hanger and flipped it over to show her. Between the see-through sleeves and the mesh corset that showed a sliver of bare skin at your midriff, you balked. It wasn’t scandalous by any means, though it wasn’t the kind of thing to wear to school or around the house.</p><p>“Put it on. You can step away from the camera if you want.”</p><p>You did so. You remembered the time when you were in her family’s boutique and she brought you to tears with her encouraging words. It felt like so long ago. Even as overwhelmed as you were, you didn’t feel quite that strongly. You slipped into the dress and walked out toward the camera, hesitating when you saw she was no longer alone.</p><p>Devon whistled when he saw you, his arm draped over his girlfriend’s shoulder. “Lookin’ good, Miss Hot Mess.”</p><p>“When are you going to give me another nickname?”</p><p>“Stop being hot, stop being a mess, and I’ll consider it.” He smirked at you, pecked Aniyah on the cheek, then dawdled off to do something else.</p><p>“You have to wear it with heels. That’s all I’m gonna say. If you’re that shy, put a jacket over it. But it looks good on you.”</p><p>You had to admit she was right. You didn’t think something like this suited you. Staring at yourself in the mirror, you fingered the material that rested right above your stomach. You would be going to be in a room with a ton of other girls who were looking for love. They’d go all out. You weren’t going to be upstaged just because you felt like you couldn’t hold a candle to them. You would wear this for yourself and no one else. You could pull it off, just like Aniyah said.</p><p>Sora would be stopping by any minute to pick you up. Kuroo was still at work and wouldn’t be back for another hour, so you wandered into the living room without fear of running into him. You didn’t know why you felt guilty for hiding the truth from him.</p><p>As much as it hurt to admit it, maybe this was a good opportunity for you. Maybe you would end up meeting someone. It wasn’t healthy to keep clinging to the thought that Kuroo would suddenly change his mind about you just being friends.</p><p>You heard a series of raps against the door and wandered over. Through the peephole you could see Sora’s familiar figure right outside. She was smoothing her tie out and checking for any creases in her shirt. You slid the series of locks to the side and opened the door wide enough so she could peer inside your apartment.</p><p>“Hey, girly,” she greeted you with a lackadaisical smile. “Whoa! Give me a twirl, I wanna see what we’re working with here.”</p><p>You did as she asked and immediately whipped out her phone.</p><p>“Oh shit, my friends owe me big time. They’re all taking me to that suit store so I can get fitted, no more excuses. C’mon, let’s go show you off.”</p><p>She led you to the bar that she worked at. Quite a few office workers were already at the bar itself and knocking back drinks to forget about their harrowing week devoid of sunlight, recognition for their hard work, and meaningful human interaction. You were led through to a small room near the back of the building where private events like business meetings were held.</p><p>You weren’t the first ones there by any means. In fact, when Sora slid the door open, you were greeted with a sea of faces and shouts from the strangers sitting down at the table. You almost froze. It looked like everyone knew her and was happy she managed to make it. You stepped off to the side so you weren’t in the way and tried to calm your racing heart.</p><p>Sora remembered you were standing there and ushered you over. “This is my plus one. See, she exists. Everyone better treat her right, she’s covered for me at work a ton.”</p><p>You gave a small wave and found you couldn’t make eye contact with any of them. Sora had you sit down on the side where the girls were. She sat with her group of guy friends. You were a little more relaxed when you saw that everyone was looking through the menu and ordering a ton of appetizers. Your hands were trembling when you grabbed the menu and put it on your lap to stare at the descriptions written in faded ink.</p><p>About ten minutes after you arrived, the room was full. Sora’s blind date stepped inside and you could see the alarm in her eyes as she realized how big of a group this was. Still, she nestled herself across the table from Sora and greeted her softly.</p><p>“Sora said you were in your first year of uni,” the girl next to you started. “Is she for real? You’re a baby! What’re you doing here with all these losers?” She gestured toward the guys across the table. Most of them looked offended.</p><p>“You can’t knock me before you<em> try me</em>.” One of the guys smirked at her confidently. “So then what do you want to drink, <em>baby</em>? I’ll buy you something.”</p><p>You were repulsed by his straightforwardness. “I’m…underage.”</p><p>“Yeah, no shit.” He laughed and leaned in closer. “But it’s fine, I’m buying. What do you like?”</p><p>“Sorry, I don’t drink.” Not since the incident involving the handsy guy at your first party.</p><p>He didn’t engage you further and instead turned his attention to the girl who called him out. “Okay, what about you? You look like you drink shochu…on the rocks.”</p><p>“Um, what? No way, you’re not getting <em>me</em> shitfaced so you can find your way to my place. I know your tricks.”</p><p>“Not all men are like that, you’re being paranoid.”</p><p>You were relieved he lost interest quickly, though it did sting a little bit. It was strange. When you grew up, you didn’t get a lot of attention from guys because of your size. Until high school you never dated anyone and you only ever went out seriously with Kuroo. Because you didn’t get asked out or approached by strangers like your friends did, you thought there was something wrong with you. Even though you knew your self-worth didn’t depend on their approval, you still found yourself wanting it sometimes. You guessed you just wanted to feel like you were desirable, too.</p><p>The waiter set down a glass in front of you and you looked up in confusion. You hadn’t ordered anything. One of the guys had switched seats so you weren’t in the sights of the weirdo who tried to push alcohol on you.</p><p>“I heard you don’t drink. That’s a virgin cocktail, so you don’t have worry.”</p><p>Sora saw you were a little nervous about it and she reached over the table to take a sip. “Yeah, it’s fine. He’s not trying to get one over on you.”</p><p>You were embarrassed as you took a drink for yourself. It had a nice fruity flavor and you didn’t feel the familiar rush of intoxicating relaxation when it went down.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>“It’s no problem. I don’t really like drinking either.”</p><p>“It’s ‘cuz you can’t stomach it!” Someone shouted at him from across the room.</p><p>The guy ignored his friends who were clearly trying to embarrass him. He told you his name, but it was hard to hear over the raucous conversation. “I really like your outfit. You’re gorgeous.”</p><p>“Oh…thanks.” It was hard to take him seriously. “One of my friends made it for me.”</p><p>“That’s awesome. It must be hard finding clothes because of your size. Pretty dumb if you ask me. You know what? As a rule, I generally don’t date girls under ninety kg. All of my ex-girlfriends were curvy, guys don’t know what they’re missing out on.”</p><p>This was AWFUL. You didn’t need to hear this! You could scarcely believe that he thought it was okay to sit there and ramble to you about his blatant fat fetish. Were you supposed to thank him? Suddenly his compliment from earlier didn’t sit right with you. You became hyperaware of the way his eyes trained on your body. He kept biting his lip and pushing his plate toward you so you would grab from it. Even if you did have an appetite, there was no way you were going to waste your time talking with a guy like this.</p><p>You glanced around the table. No wonder Yukie and Kaori had such a hard time on the dating scene. These guys were so gross. Sora said they were decent, and maybe they were, but they were much more obnoxious and unpleasant than any of the guys you befriended in high school.</p><p>A girl leaned over so she could whisper in your ear, though it was a poor attempt given how much she already had to drink. “Just tell him plainly you’re not interested, or he’ll be trying to hump your leg the entire night.”</p><p>You gulped and trained your eyes on the guy. He was oblivious. You tried to look for an opening so you could leave.</p><p>Much to your chagrin, your prayers were answered. One of the guys was in the middle of a story and flicked his wrist up. The mug of beer, with a mountain of froth lingering near the rim, sloshed around and splattered on your side of the table. The girls let out an angry cry as the drunk was scolded by his friends.</p><p>With your outfit soaked, you excused yourself from the table. None of the other girls there offered to go with you to the bathroom. Fine with you. You exited through the door with your bag in hand, fully intending to leave as soon as you could clean up what you could.</p><p>“Wait, wait!” Sora called after you, pushing her way into the bathroom. “Look, I’m sorry about that. My friends were nervous about tonight and they decided to pre-game before the meetup. They’re not usually like this.”</p><p>“It’s fine,” you lied. You grabbed a fistful of paper towels and pressed them against the fabric. The beer soaked up immediately and the wet spot blossomed as it went through several layers at once. “I’m not really a party type of person. I’m gonna go.”</p><p>“I don’t blame you. I can walk you home.”</p><p>You thought about the only saving grace tonight. You saw Sora and her date hit it off once they got a few drinks in their system. “You don’t have to. You shouldn’t ditch your date.”</p><p>“It’s dark out, though—”</p><p>“I can take care of myself.” You trashed the paper towels and opened the door, letting in the stench of smoke, alcohol and desperation flood through. “I’ll see you at work.”</p><p>“At least text me when you get home.”</p><p>You didn’t bother confirming with her. You were over it. It didn’t help that the weirdo popped his head out looking for you. Sora had to approach him and push him back inside so he didn’t bother you anymore. You were thankful she could at least take the hint that he wasn’t on your radar.</p><p>You wormed your way to the front so you could escape. This night fucking sucked. There was no other way to look at it. You had some smidgen of hope that you would be able to put aside your insecurities, relax and have fun meeting new people. No way. You would rather die alone than have to resort to settling for a bunch of creeps like that.</p><p>When you exited the bar, you were thankful for the ability to breathe again. It was suffocating inside. You took in a few deep inhales and tried to get your shot nerves to settle down.</p><p>You were about to head out on your own when you heard Kuroo’s name come from the next building over. It wasn’t a common surname and it gave you pause. You tilted your head so you could get a better look in the direction it came from. Throngs of people were already out and about to start their weekend with a bang. You had to peer around them, your eyes scanning back and forth as you tried to filter out their various figures.</p><p>Sure enough, you spotted Kuroo. He was with a guy you didn’t recognize and from their heated conversation you wondered if the two of them were about to fight. That didn’t seem likely. The other guy was slightly shorter than Kuroo. He kept fidgeting and hitting the shell of his shoe against the pavement. He happened to notice you were staring at him. He stammered something out to Kuroo and turned to run off (not before he tripped, fell, and had to pick himself back up again.)</p><p>You and Kuroo locked eyes from across the way. You were too stunned to give him a proper greeting or even a short wave. You hadn’t expected to see him tonight at all.</p><p>Without missing a beat, Kuroo approached you. He didn’t seem happy at all. He took you by the wrist and ushered you to follow him. You didn’t resist at all, merely telling him to slow down because your ankles were unsteady in the heels you chose.</p><p>You had some privacy in the nearby alley, even though it was a little creepy given how late it was. You tried to ignore the acrid stench coming from the nearby dumpster. The narrow space between the buildings made you a little claustrophobic, especially with how tight your chest already felt from being out here alone with him.</p><p>Kuroo’s eyes fixed on you. “What’re you doing here?”</p><p>“I told you I was going out with Sora.”</p><p>“Yeah, but you didn’t mention a bar. Or getting dressed up.” He gestured to your outfit. “Were you at a mixer?”</p><p>You could feel your face grow hot. “So what if I was?”</p><p>He looked momentarily stunned. Hurt flashed across his face. “It would’ve been nice to know, first off. I had no idea where you were. I didn’t think this kind of thing was your style or that you were even trying to meet someone.”</p><p>It’d already been a bust tonight and this was rubbing salt into your wounds. “Tetsurou, I don’t know what you want me to say. I was just putting myself out there to see what the dating scene is like. I know you probably don’t realize this, but I want to find love, too. High school wasn’t at all like how they make it seem in the movies. I had one boyfriend – and you were an <em>amazing</em> boyfriend – but I don’t want to be single anymore.”</p><p>Kuroo went quiet for a few seconds and his crossed arms came undone. “You know the guys in there…they’re not looking for a serious relationship. Not like you are. I don’t want you to get hurt.”</p><p>“Well, what am I supposed to do? I don’t have a lot of experience. I didn’t have a boyfriend when I was in junior high. My second year was…it was too hard for me to date, and no one asked me out when I was a third year. I feel like something is wrong with me. At least Kaori and Yukie went out with guys, even if it didn’t last. I know being in a relationship isn’t everything, but it sucks being alone.”</p><p>“I didn’t date anyone else in high school, either,” Kuroo pointed out.</p><p>“It wouldn’t have been a problem for you. You’re handsome, and talented, and charismatic, and funny. You could’ve had anyone you wanted.”</p><p>He hesitated. “Even you?”</p><p>“Please stop teasing me, okay?”</p><p>“I’m being serious.” He swallowed hard and you could see a thin sheen of sweat bead at his hairline. Was he nervous? “You keep talking about not having anyone like I wasn’t even there. You say all this stuff about wanting to date someone and <em>I’m right here</em>. I’ve been here the entire time and I’ve been waiting. So is that it? Are we over? Because I keep getting mixed signals from you. Everything is cool and then suddenly it’s not. But you still wear that locket I gave you every single day and I keep thinking it means something. Am I wrong?”</p><p>You glanced down in alarm. Even though you got dressed to the nines for some random guys who ended up being far from what you expected, you still reached for the necklace by habit. You took it off at the end of the day for safekeeping, but it had been a permanent part of your wardrobe since the day you got it.</p><p>“Look,” Kuroo started, lifting a hand up to run through his hair. “I’ve been giving you space. I didn’t want to get in the way of you getting into uni. It’s been over a month since we started living together and I’ve been dropping hints like crazy. I can’t tell if you’re ignoring them on purpose or if you really don’t get it.”</p><p>“Hints?” You tried to wrack your brain for anything that could’ve stood out, only to come up empty. “I seriously don’t get you. Why tell me this? You made it clear the other day that I wasn’t special to you. When I saw…you…you said it would’ve happened with any other girl.”</p><p>Kuroo was gaping at you open-mouthed. “What? I told you that because I freaked out and needed to cover my ass. I didn’t want you to get weirded out and kick me out of the apartment.”</p><p>You cursed your anxiety and self-doubt for taking control over your rational thoughts. It never served you any real purpose after all this time.</p><p>You struggled to process what he said and found him even closer than before. He stood in front of you within arm’s reach. You gulped and your heartrate picked up instantly, thrumming and sending a pleasant buzz along every surface of your skin.</p><p>“You get what I’m saying, don’t you?” Kuroo reached up to cup your cheek. His thumb brushed along its curves affectionately. “I didn’t date anyone else in high school because I’m still crazy in love with you. I know I messed things up big time before, but I want another shot to make it right.”</p><p>It was difficult looking at him directly. You hadn’t seen a gaze that tender since you were dating. You were used to the Kuroo who teased everyone and had an air of confidence. The person in front of you now was vulnerable, unguarded, and putting his heart on the line.</p><p>“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” you asked, your voice breaking.</p><p>“I’m a coward, alright?” He refused to back away. “But I’m not going to half-ass it this time. I took you for granted and that was stupid of me. I didn’t want to get in the way of your future, but I’m telling you right now I want to be a part of it.”</p><p>“I want that, too.” You wished you could muster up some of your eloquence to get him to understand how much and for how long. As it stood, you knew there was one way to make it clear. “I love you, Tetsurou. The truth is, I don’t want to date just anyone. I only want it to be you.”</p><p>You didn’t wait for his response because you went in for a kiss. He tensed at how sudden it was, but all of that melted away within seconds. He grinned against you as you continued brushing your lips against his. He finally got a hold of himself and wrapped an arm around your waist so he could pull you in even closer. You relished the familiar warmth of his body on yours. He opened his mouth and your tongues slipped past each other, winding around as you relished the taste of a love you thought you’d both lost.</p><p>As much as you thought you could control yourselves, you couldn’t. The kisses became more feverish and a wanton groan resounded from the base of his throat. You gasped in response and he sucked on the tip of your tongue before pulling you back into his mouth. Your knees were starting to wobble. You stepped backwards and he guided you against the nearest wall so he could pin you there.</p><p>“Mm…” You took hold of a tuft of hair on the back of his head. He bent down to place hot, open-mouthed kisses along your neck and cleavage. You spread your legs just enough for his hips to slot into yours. His hand drew up to your breast and he gave you an experimental squeeze.</p><p>When he pulled back, his lips were bee-stung and raw. You arched your back and he grunted, his hand sliding down your waist so he could cup your thigh.</p><p>“What is going <em>on</em> down there?!”</p><p>The lust that rampaged across your body was quelled instantly. Kuroo stumbled backwards away from you and you struggled to pull your dress down. You were mortified to find that a group of older women were striding past the buildings and happened upon you.</p><p>“You…!” The ringleader cried, her voice shaking with rage. “I remember you two! New Year’s Eve, circa 2011! You were being indecent at the shrine! How dare you?! This is a public space! You two, I need your parents’ contact information so I can reprimand them for allowing their children to behave this way!” She snapped her head to the others. “Don’t let them get away this time!”</p><p>You were stunned to see these elderly ladies fan out at the exit of the alley like a row of linebackers ready to charge. One of them had her phone out and was taking pictures of you, judging by the flash of light that nearly blinded you.</p><p>Kuroo grabbed your hand, laced your fingers together, and took off in the opposite direction down the alley. You immediately lost one of your shoes in a nearby puddle and kicked the other one off to go faster, screeching at him to slow down. He did not.</p><p>You glanced over your shoulder and saw that original lady hot on your trail. What the fuck?! Was she a former track star or something?! Her hands were rigid and her fingers came together as her arms jostled up and down in a mechanical rhythm.</p><p>Up ahead, at the very end of the line, Kuroo’s acquaintance was there. He looked red in the face when he saw your disheveled state.</p><p>“D-dude! I got worried when you didn’t come out…a-are you okay?”</p><p>Kuroo said nothing and brushed past him. “Sorry, man, can’t talk! Do me a favor and keep standing right there!”</p><p>In the background, all you could hear was the guy’s high-pitched, shrill cry as the old lady barreled into him. He apologized profusely and, judging by the sounds coming from him, she beat him over the head with her bag for getting in her way.</p><p>Mrs. Kobayashi gazed down at the trembling boy with zero pity for the wounds she inflicted on him. “They got away again,” she muttered to herself.</p><p>“Fumiko!” One of her friends rounded the corner and stretched her arms out. “We found these!”</p><p>All of the women crowded around the pair of now muddy heels. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.</p><p>Even if it took the years she had left on this earth, Mrs. Kobayashi would find your families and give them the punishment they so greatly deserved. Her left hand curled into a fist and her eyes narrowed.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! I hope y'all have a fantastic week.</p>
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<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Floodgates</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Surprisingly enough, you and Kuroo pick up right where you left off.</p>
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    <p>You burst through the door, heaving to catch your breath, and nearly sank down to your knees once you felt the familiar carpet squish against your damp feet. Kuroo slammed the door behind you and used every lock available to ensure no one would be barging in anytime soon. You watched him press his face against the door so he could look out through the peephole, using his palms and full weight to keep it shut.</p><p>“Did…she…follow us?” You gasped, trying to calm your erratic heartbeat. No one told you tonight was going to be a cardio workout. You would’ve at least worn sneakers if you knew. “What the hell was she doing there?”</p><p>“No clue.” He continued to scan the limited view he had outside your apartment. “I think we’re good. Imai really pulled through for us.”</p><p>“Who was that guy?”</p><p>“My coworker.” Kuroo backed up as if he was fully expecting the door to shatter into a flurry of wood and metal.</p><p>He dropped himself down into the spot next to you and glanced over at your legs. They were pretty filthy since you were sprinting barefoot through the streets for quite some time. You would never recover from the odd looks you received from all those strangers trying to live their best lives. His fingers ran along the length of your shin and trailed down to your ankle.</p><p>“You didn’t get cut, did you?”</p><p>“No. Thankfully not.” You stretched your leg out in front of you and turned it from side to side to prove it, knowing he wasn’t fully convinced. “I think I just got in my workout for the rest of the year thanks to that.”</p><p>Kuroo grinned at you and flopped backwards with a chuckle. You joined him. The two of you stared upward at the ceiling. It was dark inside the apartment and as such your senses were heightened. Although the bitter cold from outside swallowed you whole moments before, his body heat was comforting.</p><p>You were still reeling from the fact that your feelings were put on the line and they coincided with each other. Your affections weren’t one-sided. You were free to express yourself to the one person who you thought for sure had grown tired of you. His words still bounced around in your head. For a guy who prided himself in being relaxed, cool and unflappable, he was so passionate and sincere when pouring his heart out to you.</p><p>“I should go shower. I feel awful.” You were sticky, dirty, sweaty and uncomfortable. You brought yourself up into a sitting position and attempted to stand. You were stopped with Kuroo wrapping his hand around your wrist so he could tug you back down. “Hey, what gives—”</p><p>Kuroo lowered you to the ground and pinned you underneath him. His lips were quickly on yours as he swallowed the rest of your protests. You were limp for a moment, shocked at the sudden way he climbed on top of you and held your wrists above your head, but that wariness slipped away with any of your doubts. You opened your mouth so he could slip his tongue in. His lips were still cold from being outside for so long, but your searing kisses resolved that within seconds.</p><p>You hadn’t grasped how much bigger he was until he had you trapped. Even through the thin material of his shirt you could see his biceps flex. His shoulders were broad and sturdy, so easy for you to cling to if you needed it. His powerful legs were well-defined from years of playing volleyball and you were no match as his knees hooked on either side of your thighs, squeezing tighter with every slight moan you bit back.</p><p>“Tetsurou…?” Your eyes squeezed shut as he pulled his lips away from you, only to drag them down to the spot under your ear. You squirmed as he licked a stripe along your skin. Goosebumps followed, even more so when his exhaling breath hit your earlobe.</p><p>You tensed up when he fastened his mouth on a spot he found worthy of his attention and bit down, sucking hard to bring blood to the surface. The flash of pain from his teeth breaking the surface of your skin was soon replaced with a dizzying cloud of pleasure. You knew what he was doing and that excited you more than the act itself.</p><p>“Ah!”</p><p>“You want me to stop?” he muttered when he pulled back to assess his work. “I will if you tell me to.”</p><p>You didn’t say anything. He laughed under his breath and went back to peppering every inch of your neck with hickies. You wanted to bring your hands along the expanse of his back and dig your nails into him. He wouldn’t let you. He wanted to have his way with you as punishment for all these months pining after you.</p><p>He paused when he got to your décolletage. You didn’t recognize it at first, but a rumbling laugh started in his chest.</p><p>“What?” you asked him, panicked.</p><p>“You smell like beer.”</p><p>“Ugh…” The moment was ruined. Knowing your face was burning in embarrassment, you wriggled out from under him.</p><p>He crawled off to the side and burst into laughter. He was lucky that you were still disoriented from the way he ravaged you seconds ago, or you would’ve chewed him out.</p><p>“Some dude spilled his drink on me earlier. I tried to clean it up. I didn’t know it was that noticeable.” You grabbed the collar of the dress and brought it up to your nose. He was right. There was the faint stench of alcohol mixed with your perfume. Not pleasant at all. “I told you I needed to get cleaned up.”</p><p>“Couldn’t resist. You should’ve known what that dress would do to an innocent guy like me.”</p><p>“‘Innocent’ my ass,” you muttered. “You just jumped me.”</p><p>With that being said, you managed to pick yourself up and wobble your way over to the bathroom to get cleaned up. Your body was tingling from the feel of his lips, hands and heated gaze. He’d always been forward when you were dating, so eager to hold and grope you, but it’d been a while since you got attention like this. It was a little overwhelming.</p><p>You washed your hair in silence and the events from earlier ran through your head. You would have to thank Sora later. If you hadn’t agreed to her request to attend the mixer, Kuroo wouldn’t have gotten it in his head that he needed to say something before it was too late. As awkward as it was, it helped you see that you didn’t have any interest in other guys. Kuroo had you wrapped around his finger. He knew it, too.</p><p>The soapy water slipped down the drain, taking the remnants of tonight with it. You were clean, soft, and free of the heavy scent of the bar and its regulars. You toweled yourself off and relished its fluffy warmth. You blotted away the excess water with a wide-eyed stare in the mirror, realizing that you had a goofy smile on your face the entire time.</p><p>You stepped out in your pajamas and wondered where Kuroo had gone off to. Maybe he was in his room getting changed. You opened the door to your bedroom and froze when you realized he was in there. He looked like he was on his phone and didn’t notice you walked in until you moved close enough to put your hand over the screen, just to bug him.</p><p>Without a word, he threw his phone aside and wrapped his arms around you, burying his face in your stomach. You were embarrassed at the sudden gesture. Still, you combed your fingers through his hair and let the intimate moment ride. It seemed like you weren’t the only one who was dumbstruck by the change in your relationship.</p><p>“So, um…” You brushed the hair out of his eyes so you could get a better look at his expression. “I know we have work tomorrow, but…do you want to sleep here? With me?”</p><p>He smirked and leaned backwards on his hands. “You think I’ll be able to keep my hands to myself? I think you’re giving me way too much credit.”</p><p>You shrugged and pulled away from him. His smug look fell when he saw you were moving around him to stuff your dirty clothes in the laundry basket.</p><p>“It’s your choice. I have a body pillow I can snuggle with, instead.”</p><p>He whipped around to scowl at you. “You do not.”</p><p>“Sure do. I hide it in the closet when you’re not here.”</p><p>You regretted what you said instantly, because he was on his feet before you knew it. You panicked and jumped across the bed to grab at the back of his shirt to stop him. You meant to use it as a way to get him jealous. He called your bluff. It would be way more embarrassing to have him see the character adorned on the giant pillow, the very same you’d been lavishing your attention on when he was in the other room.</p><p>“Let go, c’mon, I want to scope out the competition. Who’s been making moves on my girl?”</p><p>“You’re so dumb,” you snorted, refusing to let go. “Maybe I should be asking that to the tissue box under your bed, huh?”</p><p>Kuroo fell off the bed and onto the floor. His entire face was bright red. Score! You knew you could get one over on him. You propped your chin up with your elbows and gazed down at him with a catlike smile, a brow perked so he could tell just how hard he lost this battle.</p><p>“I knew you saw it!”</p><p>“I wasn’t trying to embarrass you. It didn’t matter, because you ended up giving me an eyeful of something else.”</p><p>He was struggling to gain the upper hand. “Yeah?” he stammered. “You liked the show?”</p><p>You busted out laughing. He was still mortified. You weren’t going to get into the specifics of what you really thought about how he looked. You were trying to settle down for bed soon. You didn’t want to risk staying up, fooling around, and then go to work tomorrow on barely any sleep. You wouldn’t be able to concentrate.</p><p>“I don’t know, I guess I’ll have to see it again to make sure.” You leaned over the edge of the bed and planted a light kiss on the tip of his nose. “You should shower, too, because I’m about to crash out. I can’t guarantee there will be space for you when you come back and I’m sprawled across my bed.”</p><p>Kuroo forgot all about what was lurking in the closet and left the room so he could get ready for bed. Once he was out the door, you stripped the pillow cover and looked around for a place to hide it. No way in hell you were ever going to let him see it. He would tease you for the rest of your life. You managed to crumple it up and shove it into a small lockbox your parents gave you for jewelry and other valuables. Perfect.</p><p>You slipped underneath the covers and waited for Kuroo. He took his time in the shower, more so than usual. No clue why. He had a pretty exciting night, now that you thought about it. You didn’t get a chance to ask him why he just so happened to be right outside the bar you were in, but you had a good idea. You would probably talk more about it later.</p><p>He came into the room and you could smell he used your shampoo…again. You really needed to buy an industrial sized bottle with the way you both ran through it. Even so, you didn’t mind too much. Not when his body, still warm from the shower, pressed up right against yours as he embraced you from behind.</p><p>“Hey,” you muttered, feeling his hand trail up to your breast so he could cup it. “I told you we’re just sleeping.” You placed your palm over it to stop him from squeezing any more. “You’ll get your fill, promise.”</p><p>“Just saying hi.” His arm draped across your waist and he tugged you backwards so you were trapped in his arms. “I’m sure you girls’ve been neglected all this time. Did you miss me?”</p><p>“Don’t talk to my boobs!” You huffed. “It’s weird.”</p><p>He snickered and gave you an affectionate squeeze before pulling back. As nice as it would be to sleep in a spooning position, it wasn’t realistic. There was no way his arm would get through the night unscathed if he had to tuck it underneath the pillow and try to wrap himself around you at the same time. You learned that the hard way when you were still in high school. His shoulder had been sore for nearly a week and he made up a different excuse every day as to why. But you were burdened with that knowledge. You<em> knew all along.</em></p><p>You weren’t sure how long it took for you to fall asleep. All you remembered was feeling at peace with the fact that he was lying next to you. During the middle of the night, while shifting positions, you did reach over to make sure he was still there. He always was.</p><p>You woke up before your alarm because you could hear a clamor coming from the kitchen, along with some outright swearing and the smell of something burning. You were still half-asleep. The bed was empty and cold by now, telling you that Kuroo was the one making a huge racket before work. Where did he go? You debated ignoring it and drifting off back to sleep, but you had a flash of the apartment burning down after he threw water on an oil fire, so you rolled out of bed and trudged to where he was.</p><p>“Mornin’,” Kuroo greeted you sheepishly. “Sorry I woke you up.”</p><p>“What’re you doing?” You leaned on the counter to get a good look at the mess he was making. This was why you were in charge of prepping your meals and why Kuroo had been banned from the kitchen at his workplace. He wasn’t helpless by any means, but he had barely any experience cooking for himself and it showed.</p><p>“I was trying to make us breakfast, but my skills are obviously way too advanced to use the stuff we have around the kitchen, so…”</p><p>You shook your head and stood next to him to assess the damage. “What are you trying to cook in this pan?”</p><p>“Eggs.”</p><p>You stared at the (somehow) equally crisp and mushy brown pile. “Uh…okay, well, let’s start this over.”</p><p>After dumping his concoction in the trash, you decided to show Kuroo how to make some basic dishes. You took it upon yourself because you knew that teaching him would be a pain in the ass. However, he was a grown man and he needed to learn how to take care of himself. You would feel better about it in case you weren’t around for whatever reason. He couldn’t rely on takeout forever.</p><p>As Kuroo watched the bubbling oil in the pan with a sharp stare, you couldn’t help but giggle at him. His bedhead was even wilder today and you wondered what lengths he had to take in order to sleep in your bed. Maybe he grabbed two of your pillows to squish them against his head. He definitely hadn’t used your chest…as far as you were aware. You were already anticipating him to do so once you fell into your old habits.</p><p>“I was thinking of taking you out tonight after work,” he muttered as he turned down the heat on the stove. “Like out to dinner.”</p><p>“Really?” You had to admit, it was a little embarrassing. You hadn’t been on a proper date in years. “First breakfast, now this? I guess my boobs are pretty powerful, you haven’t been the same since grabbing them last night.”</p><p>He scoffed and glanced at you from the corner of his eye. “We’ve got a lot of time to make up for. I’m gonna take you out to do all the things we couldn’t when we broke up. Plus, I still have to make up for the time I forgot my wallet.”</p><p>“Oh, yeah.” You remembered how panicked he was. “I guess you do owe me, then.”</p><p>You sat down at the table to enjoy your breakfast together. The past week had been a nightmare in terms of trying to keep your distance from each other. You relaxed against him as you turned the channel onto something lighthearted to set the mood for the rest of the day.</p><p>After dumping your dishes in the sink for later, you finished getting ready for work and were out the door. Kuroo wasted no time in reaching down to grab your hand. Even though you’d done this kind of thing so often since you moved in, it was never like this. His intention behind the gesture was far more romantic, and it showed. You didn’t feel awkward at all as you traversed through the streets together. It was natural to clasp your hands together and not even once did you shy away because you thought people were staring. If anything, you were still bewildered that someone like Kuroo – handsome and charming – decided to settle down with you.</p><p>“I’ll walk you all the way to work, it’s not a big deal.”</p><p>“Are you sure? I don’t want you to be late.”</p><p>Despite your hesitation, you were thrilled. It was exciting being with him, even with something as simple as this. You enjoyed his company and you were sure it showed, judging by the giant grin on your face whenever he turned to look at you.</p><p>“I’ll pick you up and we can go home to get ready. I’ve got a place in mind I’ve been dying to take you.”</p><p>You and Kuroo lingered outside the doors to the library. It was fairly busy given it was the weekend. Kids of all ages were filing in so they could join in on several events held throughout the day for them. You happened to glance at a familiar kid and when you went back to look at Kuroo, he was already much closer than he was moments ago.</p><p>He leaned down to press a kiss to your lips. You were surprised, but accepted it all the same. It was chaste considering where you were. It still managed to make your chest tight. Kuroo walked backwards, his hand slipping from yours gently, before he wheeled around and left the area. You wondered if he was as flustered as you were. The spark his lips left on you dulled down to a pleasant tingle and you resisted the urge to prod at them.</p><p>You forced yourself to head inside. You had to get it together. You were in charge of reading to the kids this morning and there was no way you’d be able to concentrate if you kept thinking about Kuroo.</p><p>“Morning,” Sora yawned as soon as you walked past her. “I was worried about you. You sure you’re okay? My friends were being assholes and I already knocked the crap out of them for what they did last night.”</p><p>You felt a little better knowing she was genuinely concerned. “It’s fine, really. I got home safe. Sorry I didn’t text you. I was just kind of over the whole thing. Are you and that girl going to see each other again?”</p><p>“Yeah, definitely not anywhere with those idiots.” She exhaled through her nose. “Do you happen to have any painkillers on you?”</p><p>You knew she was going to show up with a hangover. “I think so. Let me check.”</p><p>You weren’t able to linger too much on your feelings of lovesickness because you were busy. You spent the entire morning keeping a group of rowdy kids in check. They all did their best to interrupt the flow of your storytelling with random questions, comments, or their own stories that they felt were relevant (and in fact, were not).</p><p>By midday, you were ready to de-stress. You broke away from the group of kids who were somehow enamored with you and made your way to the front desk. Kuroo texted you earlier and said he would be coming by with lunch so you could eat outside in the courtyard together. He promised he would bring something new from the cake shop for you to try, too.</p><p>You went to the bathroom and when you stepped out, you were alarmed at the person who was waiting by the front desk.</p><p>You dodged behind one of the shelves and peeked out. It was definitely him – the guy from the mixer. Ugh, gross! You peered through the rows of books to get a good look at him. He had a bouquet of flowers and judging by the way he was gazing around the room, it was obvious he was looking for someone. You shuddered in your spot and hoped with all your might that he knew someone else who worked here.</p><p>Your phone buzzed and you saw Kuroo asking why you hadn’t come out yet. Oh, good. He was here. You rapidly typed out a response and begged him to come and get you. He didn’t even bother asking why.</p><p>Once he stepped into the library, relief flooded through you. He saw you step closer to the end of the aisle so you could wave him over.</p><p>“What’s up with you?” he asked, amused. “You wanted to make out back here in the serial killer section? I’m kinda judging you.”</p><p>“Shh!” You placed a hand over his mouth and pushed him so he was facing in the guy’s direction. “You see that guy? He’s a weirdo. He was at that mixer last night and he was coming on super strong. I pretty much ran off to get away from him. Now look! He’s here!”</p><p>You knew how paranoid you sounded. Maybe he really wasn’t looking for you. Maybe he had a thing for Sora and was going to embarrass himself by confessing to her. A ton of scenarios ran through your mind and you almost felt guilty for jumping to conclusions. Then again…thinking back to the way he leered at you and practically salivated over the sight of your body, your instincts were probably right.</p><p>“You don’t have to worry about that guy. C’mon, let’s go.”</p><p>“Tetsurou—” you protested. He took your hand and walked out with you before you could get another word in.</p><p>Now out in the open, the guy spotted you almost immediately. You panicked. You could see his face light up as he strode over to you. He didn’t even seem to care that Kuroo was standing right next to you. He merely said your name and beamed at you, fumbling with the end of the bouquet before offering it to you.</p><p>“I was hoping to catch you here! You left before we could exchange numbers. Are you free right now? There’s this buffet down the street, all you can eat, I’ve been there a ton of times before and the food is great.”</p><p>You opened your mouth to say something but Kuroo beat you to it. “Sorry, we’re actually on our way out. We’ve got plans together.”</p><p>As if broken from a trance, the guy’s eyes snapped to Kuroo. He looked flabbergasted. “Oh, uh…I didn’t see you there.”</p><p>“You shouldn’t hit on another guy’s girlfriend,” Kuroo told him bluntly. “I get it, she’s smoking hot, but you’ll have to find someone else.” He took the bouquet before the guy could even react. “Thanks for the flowers, though. See ya.”</p><p>You followed Kuroo out the door, but not before stealing one last look at the guy. He was devastated and rightfully angry at what just happened, though he didn’t make a move to confront either of you. Kuroo led you out to the front of the building and refused to stop, his broad back shielding you from the harsh sunlight outside.</p><p>“I can’t believe you took his flowers,” you bit back a laugh as you reached the courtyard. “That poor guy.”</p><p>“Almost forgot.” Kuroo glanced around and he paused when he spotted an old woman on a bench. She was enjoying the weather and feeding some of the birds that happened to land at her feet. He approached her as casually as he could, so as not to spook them, and bent down to make sure she could see him. “Here you go, ma’am.”</p><p>“Oh!” She broke into a warm smile as she gazed up at him. “Thank you very much, these are beautiful!” She spotted you off to the side and gave you a small wave. “You did a good job with this one. He’s a keeper.”</p><p>With that over with, Kuroo took you to your usual spot. He had been carrying a bag of food for the both of you and you hoped that it hadn’t gone cold from your detour. The bench overlooked a grassy area filled with flowers. It was old and worn, but it gave you an excuse to scoot closer to him so you could avoid the paint chips from flecking onto your outfit. Some children frolicked around and played tag as their mothers watched from afar. </p><p>“Thanks for that. I wasn’t sure how to deal with him.”</p><p>Kuroo opened up a can of juice and handed it to you. It was still cold and the first drink you took was refreshing enough to ease your lingering nerves. “Yeah, I really didn’t think one day into our relationship I’d have to go full alpha male.”</p><p>“Trust me, it’s not going to ever happen again. And you actually handled it really well. Some guys would’ve just made it worse.”</p><p>You shared the cold cut sandwiches he brought with him. You always got two kinds and split them up amongst yourselves. This break was the highlight of your day. While your job was interesting enough, it could be exhausting. One wouldn’t think so walking into such a peaceful and quiet atmosphere.</p><p>“About your coworker…Imai, right? Is he okay?”</p><p>Kuroo nearly choked on his food. “I thought he’d be pissed. He showed up to work and couldn’t shut up about how cool it was. He’s obsessed with action movies and I guess when he took the hit for us, he felt like he was a hero. He got banged up but that’s normal for him. He falls down all the time at work.”</p><p>“I’m glad he’s alright. Speaking of him, is he the one who convinced you to follow me like a total creep?”</p><p>He put his sandwich down and you were shocked at how serious his expression got. “Look, I kind of told him what was going on because I could tell you weren’t acting like yourself. I should’ve asked you. I didn’t want you to push me away. When I saw you go into the bar it really messed me up, but he managed to talk me down. Sorry I ended up stalking you.”</p><p>“No! I was just joking!” you exclaimed. “I’m glad you did. Otherwise, I would’ve went home and nothing would’ve been resolved. When I saw you, I was relieved. And then, well, we wouldn’t have gotten back together if you walked off. So in a way I’m thankful he pushed you to do it.”</p><p>He glanced at you briefly before turning his attention ahead, putting his lips to the water bottle he held. “You’re so lucky we’re in public,” he muttered.</p><p>“Or what? You’d attack my neck again? I had to do some serious damage control this morning because of you.”</p><p>“If you hadn’t covered it up, maybe the guy would’ve gotten the hint.”</p><p>You were glad you got the gist of what happened. You did feel a little guilty for having worried him so much. You didn’t see him as the jealous type, but he probably felt helpless once he saw you go into a meetup with a bunch of other guys. Even though nothing happened, you could see how that would be a huge blow to his heart and ego. If the roles were reversed you wouldn’t even know what you would do.</p><p>You went back to work in high spirits, and the rest of the day went by without a hitch. Sora didn’t bring up her friend’s sudden appearance – he must’ve left before she came back from her break. You were thankful. She was nice enough and you didn’t want to cause a rift between you because her friend thought you were being stuck-up.</p><p>You and Kuroo went home to get changed for your date. You were excited and it seemed like he was, too. He didn’t wear anything too formal, but seeing him dress up at all was a nice surprise. You kind of had to go around each other in the apartment since you only had the one bathroom. You didn’t mind it so much anymore.</p><p>The restaurant was one you hadn’t been to before. It was brightly lit inside with a room vastly decorated with crystal chandeliers that dangled from the ceiling. The dining area was spacious and cozy. However, the true beauty of the room was the giant fish tank that rested against the opposite wall. From floor to ceiling it was filled with icy, crystal-clear water and various species of fish and other sea creatures. The fluorescent lighting behind it only gave it an eerie, otherworldly atmosphere.</p><p>“Where did you even find this place?” you asked in awe, slumping down into the chair. “This is so cool.”</p><p>“Thought you’d like it. Actually, Yakkun was the one who brought it up. I kind of got it in my head I needed to take you here. Hell of a lot better than the buffet that guy was rambling about, right?”</p><p>“Hmm, I wonder…” you joked. “Including present company? Then hell yes. He wouldn’t have stood a chance compared to you, anyway.”</p><p>Kuroo flipped open his napkin, meaning it to look badass, but almost knocking the menu off the table. “Yeah, I am pretty much perfect.”</p><p>“I won’t argue with you because you’re the one guy I can always count on, and the only guy I’ll ever love. So…”</p><p>He hadn’t expected a blatant confession. He was barely able to get a word out when the waitress came by to get your order. You grinned at him from behind the menu and relished the power you held over him. People would die if they realized he was in the palm of your hand and always would be. You accepted the responsibility with gusto. After all, who was better equipped to handle him than you?</p><p>As far as dates went, it was fun. Nothing major changed in the way you interacted with each other, other than the fact that Kuroo had zero filter when it came to flirting with you. You were able to do it back without feeling like you were pushing him. You talked more about work, about how you thought classes were going, possible career choices for him (again), and updates on your friends.</p><p>Kuroo did not forget his wallet this time around. He paid for dinner and you insisted that you get dessert elsewhere, so you ended up stopping by an ice cream place on the way home.</p><p>You were heading down the sidewalk and you happened to check your phone. “Weird. Looks like my parents called me but they didn’t leave a message.”</p><p>“You want to check up on them?”</p><p>“It’s fine, they probably forgot that I said I had to work today.” You tucked it back into your purse and took out the house key, instead. “So. Is this the part of the romance movie where I invite you into the apartment for ‘coffee’?”</p><p>He laughed and followed you in. You kicked off your shoes and set your keys, phones and wallets down onto the counter. You would deal with putting them away properly later. For now, you were just focused on trying to unwind from a long day.</p><p>Kuroo had just turned around from hanging up his jacket in the closet when he saw you gently reach down to grab his hand. You took a step backwards and kept eye contact with him, trying your best to be seductive. Maybe you failed? Who knew. In any case, he swallowed hard and trailed after you all the way to your bedroom, your footsteps soft as you padded along the carpet.</p><p>You didn’t bother shutting the door since it was the two of you. You placed your palms on the plane of his chest and urged him to sit down on the edge of the bed. He sank down without protest, his eyes now clouded and unfocused as you pinned him there with your knees dropping down to either side of his hips. Now fully on his lap, Kuroo’s hands trailed up the curve of your body and rested in the dip of your waist. You arched your back in response to his touch and he inhaled sharply.</p><p>“I guess I should’ve asked before I kind of jumped you,” you laughed nervously. His touch was electric and it was hard not to react, so you hid your embarrassment behind humor. “Are you okay with this?”</p><p>“You’re asking if I’m okay with my girlfriend on top of me in this getup?” He plucked the fabric that clung to your skin, tugging it outwards before letting go for emphasis. “Yeah, I’m more than okay with this. I think I’d like it better if we were making out, though.”</p><p>You didn’t bother with a quip this time. You dipped your head down and swallowed any more of his sarcasm with an open-mouthed kiss. Kuroo groaned and his fingers dug into your sides. He was warm underneath you, pliant, his lips the right amount of soft. You applied more pressure by dropping your weight on him. His brow furrowed and he gasped into your mouth, rolling his hips upwards to meet yours.</p><p>You pulled back so your lips were barely touching. “Is it okay if I…um…”</p><p>“What?” he breathed, love-drunk and dizzy. “You’ve got me by the balls, literally, you could do whatever you wanted and I’d say yes.”</p><p>“I’m just making sure. I don’t want to push you like I did before.” You wrapped your arms around his neck and kiss him again. “It’s kind of sudden, but I want to see it.”</p><p>“It?”</p><p>“<em>It,</em>” you repeated. “I mean, your…well…”</p><p>“Seriously?” His mouth was agape. “What kind of guy would I be if I said no?”</p><p>You crawled off Kuroo as he hurriedly unbuckled his belt. His fingers were trembling. Whether it was from anxiety or excitement, you couldn’t be sure. Maybe it was a mixture of both. He pulled the belt out of the loops of his pants and discarded it, the buckle hitting the floor with a heavy thud. He tugged his legs out of either side and was left only in his boxers.</p><p>You stopped him before he could hook his thumbs around the waistband. Your hands trailed along the cinched waist and stopped at the prominent bulge. You ran your palm over it through the fabric and watched, mystified, as it started to strain against his boxers.</p><p>“You’re—”</p><p>“Well, yeah, you’re touching me.” He let out an involuntary shudder.</p><p>“Can I keep going?”</p><p>“If you stop, I’m leaving.”</p><p>You were too focused on what you were doing to search his face for a shred of truth. Instead of palming him from off to the side, you maneuvered off the bed and sank to your knees in front of him. He had his legs spread wide enough for you to settle comfortably between them. He lifted his backside off the mattress so you could slide the garment down his thighs and calves before tossing it to the side.</p><p>Seeing it up close was a far different thing from the glimpse you got a few days ago. Back then you were so shocked that it didn’t occur to you how intimate this really was. You ran your eyes from the base with a dark tuft of hair and trailed up to the tip, noting the slight curve as it rested against his belly. He was actually hard and it was because of <em>you</em>. You reached out with a finger and brushed along the underside, following the curve of the prominent vein.</p><p>You weren’t sure what you were expecting, but you marveled at how soft it felt. You wrapped your hand around it, making a loose fist, and tugged down on the extra skin that closed around the head. You could see a flash of white bead at the tip. You dragged your hand upward and brushed your thumb over it. You pulled your hand back and pressed your thumb and index fingers together to watch the viscous strand stretch and contract.</p><p>“This is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life,” Kuroo groaned as he buried his face in his hands.</p><p>You blushed at his reaction. Knowing he was squirming underneath you like this was putting you on a little bit of a power trip. You thought about where you wanted to go from here. This was all so new and you were still testing out the waters. You had the rest of the night to experiment, but you knew for sure that you wanted to see this through and make him feel good.</p><p>As embarrassing as it was, you separated yourself from him and headed to your nightstand. You found the small bottle in its usual spot and made your way back over to him. He wasn’t sure what you were doing and you couldn’t find it in yourself to tell him. You were too overwhelmed. Instead, you flipped the cap up and poured a generous amount of liquid into your hand and drizzled some of it over him.</p><p>“Shit, that’s cold—oh...”</p><p>You concentrated on pumping him up and down. The added lube made it so much easier. It was slick, slippery, and you were able to quicken your pace without worrying that you were going to leave him raw and burned. You kept a steady rhythm, twisting your wrist, and noticed that his thighs were shaking. You lifted your eyes to meet his and found Kuroo’s brows furrowed, mouth ajar, his fingers bunched in the comforter as he gripped it for dear life.</p><p>“I don’t know if I’m doing this right and I don’t want to hurt you,” you admitted. No amount of watching porn or fooling around with a dildo could prepare you for actually having him in your hand.</p><p>“You’re not hurting me, you’re doing really, really good.” His hand drifted down and he curled it around your own, giving it a squeeze. “You can hold me tighter. I’m not gonna break.”</p><p>With his help, you found the confidence to keep going. The added pressure had him breathless. He dropped his hand off yours and drifted down to the crown of your head, brushing your hair away from your face so he could get a better look at your expression. You glanced up and the eye contact brought another healthy flush to his neck and cheeks.</p><p>He was molten in your hands now and you could see him rolling his hips to match your pace. You were in awe. He’d gotten so much bigger in the short amount of time you touched him. The entirety of his length was red and aching for release, precum weeping from its slit, dribbling down the curve of the head and spreading across your fingers. You bit down on your lower lip when Kuroo moaned.</p><p>“A little faster…I’m almost there…”</p><p>He sucked in a sharp breath when you picked up the pace. The sinful sound of him thrusting into your hand, coupled with his grunts and gasps, was enough to feel your panties soak through. You shifted in your spot and tried to concentrate on bringing him to orgasm instead – you could wait.</p><p>“Tetsurou—”</p><p>“Oh, fuck, when you say my name like that—ugh!” He wasn’t able to finish his thought.</p><p>You watched in fascination as his hips lifted off the bed as he came, his heels digging into the carpet. You kept your fingers around the head and squeezed. You watched it bubble up and stream down the back of your hand. It splattered onto the comforter as he twitched underneath you, bobbing up and down with several more spurts.</p><p>“That was…a lot.” You gazed around in awe at the mess he made. You hadn’t expected there to be so much of it. Your hand was covered in it and some of it shot up and landed on his stomach. You released him after realizing he was soft, not wanting to overstimulate him. Your lips slowly parted as you spread your fingers to get a good look at its sheen in the light.</p><p>All you could hear was him struggling to even out his breaths. When you drew yourself onto the bed, his expression told you that he was wiped out. He shot you a wobbly smile. You felt a little bolder than usual, so you brought the tip of your finger to your lips.</p><p>“Hey, don’t,” he warned. “It’s not gonna be good. You caught me off guard.”</p><p>You ignored him and licked off the glob that was barely hanging off your finger. As soon as the bitter taste hit your tongue, your face scrunched up. Kuroo laughed and searched for a tissue on the bedside table. He pulled it out of the box and handed it to you so you could spit it out.</p><p>“Can’t say I didn’t warn you.”</p><p>“I thought I could do it,” you huffed. “I’ve tasted myself before and it wasn’t like that.”</p><p>“I’m a guy, I know these things. Next time I’ll have to switch my diet up so it’s not so bad.”</p><p>“Next time, hm?” You wiped the remnants off the tissue, your core still aching from how you watched him come undone. “I guess that means I passed.”</p><p>“Yeah, with flying colors.” He shifted into a sitting position and his hand cupped your cheek. He leaned in to place a soft kiss against your mouth. “Now I’m gonna return the favor.”</p><p>From the living room, you heard several hard knocks against the front door. It sounded like whoever was outside was going to break in. You jumped and nearly fell off the bed as Kuroo grabbed your arm to steady you. What the hell was that?</p><p>You got to your feet and listened, ears straining, before you heard a couple of voices call your names. Your eyes widened in alarm. You could see the door handle jiggle, but it didn’t stop the people outside. Your face drained of color as you heard a key struggle to slip into the doorknob and turn. Once it did, all of the locks came undone at once with a sharp clack.</p><p>“Shit, shit, shit!” you screeched, diving back into your room. “It’s my parents!”</p><p>“What?!”</p><p>“They’re about to come in! Go to your room!”</p><p>“I can’t find my boxers—”</p><p>“Fuck your boxers! GO!” You shoved him in the direction of his room. Just as his bare ass disappeared from the hallway, the door opened and hit the other side of the wall. You screamed inwardly and saw Kuroo struggling to find a fresh pair of underwear. He hopped across his room on one foot as he stuck his leg in one of the holes.</p><p>“Close your fucking door!” you hissed.</p><p>He cursed and threw his body against the door so it slammed shut. You hoped to whatever deity was listening that your parents didn’t hear such an obvious sound. Thankfully, your mom’s booming voice filled the empty silence of the room in no time.</p><p>She called out for you again and you took the opportunity to quickly grab the nearest bottle of body lotion so you could douse yourself in it. You didn’t have time to wash your hand and if there was any smell distinct enough for her to notice, it would be sex. She was a mom, she knew these things.</p><p>After trying to smooth down your crumpled dress and hair, you bolted out the room to the kitchen. You made sure to close your bedroom door behind you. There was no way you were going to risk having them see the mess that was in there.</p><p>“There you are!” your mom beamed. “We called you to say we were stopping by. I thought maybe you went to bed early.”</p><p>Keep it cool. You shook your head and saw she was unloading a bunch of groceries. Perfect way to change the subject. “Sorry! I worked a shift today. I saw you called, but you didn’t leave a message.”</p><p>“It’s okay, sweetie. It was a little spur of the moment. We missed you and Tetsurou and wanted to see how you two are getting along.” She spread her arms for a hug.</p><p>No, no, no!!! She was for sure to going to smell it! You desperately looked for an escape.</p><p>“I haven’t showered yet, so—”</p><p>“Like I care!” She stepped forward and embraced you tightly. You could feel your soul leave your body. When she pulled back, she sniffed the air with a strange expression on her face.</p><p>“Is that the lotion I got you?”</p><p>“Yeah…it is. Why, does it smell weird?”</p><p>“Oh, no, it’s just stronger than I thought it was.” She glanced over at your dad, who was already in the process of stuffing the freezer full of meat. “We were going to stop by earlier, but we ran into some old friends and lost track of time. I hope you don’t mind if we stay here tonight. I don’t want your father driving tonight, it’s supposed to rain.”</p><p>This got from bad to worse. Not only was your room a disaster, but your parents would need it? Why?! You put on a strained smile and told her it was fine. “I just need to clean up before you guys use it…”</p><p>“Hey, it’s fine, they can use my bed.” Kuroo ended up behind you and kept his tone even, though you could tell he was just as nervous. “I’ve been crashing out on the couch a lot. I’ll change the sheets and blankets for you guys, we have some freshly washed ones in the closet.”</p><p>“Are you sure?”</p><p>“It’s no big deal. I bet you’ll like my bed better than hers, anyway.”</p><p>Kuroo managed to keep his cool. He chatted with the two of them as if you hadn’t just jerked the life out of him in your bedroom moments earlier. It felt like you were the only one flustered.</p><p>You couldn’t even be mad that your parents had cockblocked you. It was your own fault for not calling them back and throwing yourself at Kuroo as soon as you walked in the door. You had to say, though…it was a little funny that this was the second time you got him to cum. He hadn’t even brought you to climax once. You knew given the opportunity he would make it worth your while, you just couldn’t help but be disappointed you had to set your own desires aside.</p><p>Not too long after they arrived, the thunderstorm rolled in. You were glad they decided not to go back home after all, because it came down pretty hard outside. You and your mom sat by the window and watched the lightning, sipping at your warm mugs of tea, chatting about everything and nothing. Kuroo and your dad put on a movie and were basically riffing it the entire time.</p><p>Kuroo made his bed for them and they shuffled into his room to turn in for the night. It was just the two of you on the couch now. You had the blanket nestled up to your chin. You’d turned the lights down and the familiar glow of the TV screen allowed you to relax and breathe a sigh of relief.</p><p>You could tell he kept sneaking glances at you. You turned your head to look at him directly and lifted your brows. “What?”</p><p>“Nothing,” he grinned, pulling you in to kiss him. “I’m just thinking about picking up where we left off earlier.”</p><p>You broke away from him. Your lips let off a small smack as they separated. “Are you insane? My parents are right down the hall.”</p><p>“Yeah, but the door’s closed and you know they’re snoring.”</p><p>He shifted so his hand dipped between your legs. You changed out of the dress from earlier, but the material of your pajamas wasn’t much of a barrier. His middle finger trailed along and he applied pressure to where he knew your clit was, his smug look only deepening as your face contorted in a mixture of pleasure and embarrassment.</p><p>His strokes were languid and teasing. You couldn’t help the small noises that escaped your throat, squeezing your eyes shut so you didn’t have to see him staring at you with that wicked smile stretching from ear to ear. He pulled away and your relief was short-lived when you realized he was trying to slide underneath the band of your panties.</p><p>“Wait,” you snapped, grabbing his wrist. He paled immediately.</p><p>“What? You want me to stop?”</p><p>You couldn’t believe you had to say this. “You are not shoving your fingers into my panties when you haven’t even washed your hands. I’m not trying to get a yeast infection!”</p><p>He was dumbstruck. “What?”</p><p>“You heard me, dude. You’re not touching me if your hands aren’t clean. I’m serious.”</p><p>Kuroo got up and stumbled to the kitchen, in a daze at your lecture. As hot as it would’ve been for him to go for it, there was no way. He’d been putting his hands everywhere around the apartment in the few hours since he last used the bathroom.</p><p>You heard the water turn on and he took great care in scrubbing himself clean. Okay, that was kind of funny. You tried so hard not to laugh when he returned, leaning back into his spot and immediately going for your panties again.</p><p>“You have no self-control,” you whispered to him. “Ah! Your fingers are cold!”</p><p>“Revenge for the lube.” Before he could worm his way past the fabric, you caught his wrist again. “What now?”</p><p>“Um…I…” You swallowed hard. “I didn’t know you’d be doing this to me, so it’s kind of embarrassing, but I’m not…what I mean is, I haven’t had a chance to like, shower, or even clean myself up so it’s not so…”</p><p>Kuroo shot you a deadpanned stare. “Look, just tell me if you don’t want me to touch you.”</p><p>“No. I do, I’m just…I know for sure I’m not like baby soft and freshly waxed, okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, I don’t care about that.”</p><p>Knowing he wouldn’t lie about something like that, you let go of him. As soon as you did, he pushed past the band of your panties and ran his middle finger along your folds. You stiffened. His finger was so much bigger and rougher than yours and you were melting under his touch as it was. Your body tensed and you bit back a gasp when he dipped his finger in. Much to your horror, he wasted no time in zeroing in on your clit to rub it hard and fast.</p><p>“Ouch! Stop! Not so rough,” you scolded him before he could continue. “It’s super sensitive.”</p><p>He froze. “Sorry.”</p><p>“It’s okay. Just…” You tried to figure out how best to explain it to him. “Go around it, you know? The tip is like…really painful if you’re not gentle, especially because I’m not even wet right now.”</p><p>“Yeah, are you not into this, or…?”</p><p>“Are you for real asking me that? I was soaked earlier, I had to change my panties just to get it together. But there’s nothing hot about us sitting out here watching movies with my parents for the past two hours.” You suspected that his feelings might have been a little hurt at how…unexcited you were. “I’ll prove to you how into it I am. Just kiss me for a little bit.”</p><p>He withdrew his hand from your panties and you shifted around until you were facing each other. Kuroo took your face in both hands and brought his lips down to meet yours. Every time he did it, it only got better. He knew exactly what he was doing and it frustrated the hell out of you. You opened your mouth obediently, knowing he wanted to stick his tongue in, and he lowered you to the cushion so he could crawl on top of you.</p><p>You squeezed your eyes shut when his lip trailed from your mouth, cheek, then down to your ear. He bit down on the lobe and tugged it lightly before dragging his tongue toward your chest. You weren’t surprised when he kissed your breasts through your shirt. You hadn’t worn a bra. His tongue lapped at the fabric right where your nipple was and you gripped the back of his head to shove him down. He was more than happy to continue and, of course, used his other hand to paw at the breast he wasn’t fooling around with.</p><p>He went to lift up your shirt and you stopped him with a shake of your head. He didn’t ask why. He instead went back for your lips and pulled you into a much rougher kiss than before.</p><p>You put your hands on his shoulders to signal you wanted him off you. Once you sat back up, you reached for his hand and guided it to between your legs. You knew he could tell that your underwear was damp, because his face went red and he stared down in wonder. You urged his hand to slip in again, past the waistband, before he slotted his finger between your labia.</p><p>“Oh, shit,” he exhaled. “You’re so wet.”</p><p>You swallowed hard, flustered at the bewilderment on his face. “See? I told you.”</p><p>Before you could say anything else, his finger skated along your clit – much gentler this time. You squeezed your eyes shut as he explored every inch of you. It was slippery, so much so that now and then both of you heard a faint squelch when he switched the angle of his wrist. He wasn’t hitting the right spots, and he was clumsy, but it still felt so good.</p><p>You weren’t getting the buildup you needed. Kuroo was trying his best, but it was hard to teach someone how to get you off when you couldn’t even speak above a whisper. You rested your hand on his to guide him like he had to you hours earlier. He looked relieved. His wrist was probably starting to hurt.</p><p>Keeping eye contact with him, you leaned in so you could kiss him. It was an odd angle, tilting your head to the side, but he didn’t seem to mind. You guided his finger in circles around the now engorged bundle of nerves. Your strokes were even and with just the right amount of pressure to start the familiar climb you were so used to reaching alone.</p><p>“You close?” Kuroo muttered, his lips barely touching yours. “God, you’re so damn hot.”</p><p>You shuddered under his heated stare and whispered his name. He quickened his pace and a spark rushed through your entire body. “R-right there, ah—”</p><p>“You’re gushing, you know that?”</p><p>“Sh-shut up.” You kissed him hard so he wouldn’t say another word. “Te-Tetsurou, please don’t stop, <em>please</em>, I—”</p><p>His finger shook so hard it felt like it was vibrating and you fell over the edge. You squeezed your legs together pinned his hand between them. He didn’t stop. The pleasure lashed out in waves and rocked your entire body, nerves alight, an orgasm so hard that you had to stop yourself from crying out loud. Your body jerked and your back arched off the couch as you chased your high. He refused to slow down at all and let you ride it out on his hand, unbothered that his fingers and wrist would be soaked by the time he pulled out.</p><p>Once the aftershocks were over, you slumped over. Kuroo’s hand slid out of your panties and he started to marvel at his wrinkled fingers still covered in your juices.</p><p>He made a move to put a couple of them in his mouth and you shifted in alarm. “Hey—”</p><p>“Relax. I know you taste better than I do.” He pushed the tip of his finger into his mouth. You thought he would give it a tentative lick, but instead his lips sucked hard as he took it in all the way to the base. When he pulled back, his finger was clean, and he was licking his lips while staring straight at you.</p><p>“I can’t believe you just did that.”</p><p>“What? You did the same thing earlier.” He reached into his mouth and plucked a strand from his tongue. “I accidentally got a pube in my mouth, though.”</p><p>“Urrrghhhh!” You resisted the urge to shove him off the couch. “I’m sorry!”</p><p>He didn’t bother teasing you. If he had, then this would’ve been the last time you let him near you for a while, and he knew that. “You taste different. Not bad, just different.” He cleaned off the rest of his fingers. “Also, sorry, but I couldn’t wait.”</p><p>You weren’t sure what he was talking about, not until your eyes trailed down to his crotch. His boxers were stained. “You seriously came without having to touch yourself?”</p><p>“No, I mean, once you started, all I had to do was just jerk it a couple of times and I was good.” Despite the mess he made, he looked satisfied and spent. “That’s two times I came tonight. You know how to get me going.”</p><p>You still didn’t have the energy to move just yet. “Now I definitely need to shower before bed. God, look at what time it is – we have work in the morning, Tetsurou!”</p><p>“Worth it.” He kissed you hard on the mouth before you could protest. Your taste lingered on his tongue and you were ashamed at how hot you found that. “I’m gonna go first, if you’re okay with that.”</p><p>“Just…go…” You slapped his chest halfheartedly, your body still buzzing from the afterglow. “I am so done with you.”</p><p>You were in a daze as you heard the water running from the bathroom. You couldn’t believe you did that with your parents in the other room. It was so awkward. What if they heard it all? You tried not to think about it too much and managed to gather yourself up from the couch. Your legs were a little shaky and you steadied yourself by placing your palms on the walls as you headed to your room.</p><p>When you opened the door, the first thing you spotted was Kuroo’s discarded pants and boxers. You shoved it into the laundry basket, fully intending to deal with that at a much, much later date. You sat on the bed and avoided looking at yourself in the mirror. It was so obvious from your disheveled state at what you’d done.</p><p>Your shower was a lot briefer than his. You came into your room and he was making himself comfortable on the bed. He already gathered up the soiled sheets and tossed them to the side so you weren’t sleeping in the crusty remnants from his earlier fun.</p><p>“Are you sleeping in here?” you asked. “I mean, we haven’t told anyone we’re back together. My parents will know as soon as they get up tomorrow and see that you’re not on the couch.”</p><p>“Why, is it a secret?” He smirked at you and made no move to leave. “Unless you want to keep it on hold so they don’t bug us about it.”</p><p>“I’m not ashamed to be dating you. You know that. I just wasn’t sure if you wanted to put it out there. You didn’t mention it earlier.”</p><p>“I could barely think straight and I was on autopilot. It didn’t even cross my mind.”</p><p>“Well…” You crawled in bed next to him and cupped his face in your hands to place a soft kiss on his grinning lips. “I’m sure they picked up on it already. I know they’ll be happy for us. So…yeah, I don’t want you to leave. I had to go two years without you in my bed. You’re making up for it.”</p><p>“Guess we should think about getting a bigger one for the both of us sometime.” He buried his face in your chest. You knew he would do that again once he had the chance. “G’night.”</p><p>“You’re so…”</p><p>You didn’t bother finishing, knowing he wasn’t listening. Instead, you wiggled around to get comfortable and fixed your eyes on the dark ceiling. Your mind raced and you had to give it some time to calm down. Once you were done processing what was now one of the most memorable nights of your life, you relaxed long enough to drift off to sleep.</p><p>When your alarm went off the next morning, Kuroo had rolled over and used two of your pillows to shove them against his head. He was still snoozing hard. You didn’t bother waking him just yet. You slipped out of bed and made your way to the kitchen where you could smell your mom cooking.</p><p>“Good morning!” she called out brightly. Your dad was off to the side, scrolling through his phone with a cup of fresh coffee at his beck and call. “We’re going to leave here soon. I was hoping to see Tetsurou before we left, but I guess he went to work?”</p><p>You opened your mouth to reply. Your mom was holding a spatula and dropped it, the loud clatter causing your dad to look up. You followed her line of sight and turned around, only to see a half-asleep Kuroo shuffling down the hall.</p><p>“Morning,” he called out, scratching at his chest. He sidled up to you and placed a kiss on your cheek, bringing forth a healthy amount of warmth with it. “What’re you making? Smells good.”</p><p>“I KNEW IT!” your mom screeched. She spread her arms in delight and nearly knocked the pan off the stove. “I knew something was going on! You two got back together! Honey, let the group chat know!”</p><p>“Group chat? What group chat?”</p><p>Your dad handed you his phone. You were floored to see a long list of names, including all of your friends. Since when did your mom get all their numbers? Even Kuroo’s father and Yaku’s parents were included. This was horrifying, even more so when you saw the title of the group.</p><p>“Betting pool?!” you shouted. “You guys are STILL throwing money at this?!”</p><p>“We have a huge pool since it's been going on for a couple of years now. I’m so excited! We have to go through and figure out who won. I think it might be Kenma! He was the one who said thirty-six to eighty-two days after they moved in with each other!”</p><p>You scrolled through the messages. “Yakkun said TEN YEARS TO NEVER?”</p><p>“Ouch.” Kuroo leaned on his arm and smirked in your direction. “Winning him over is way too hard. Even your dad approved before he did.”</p><p>You weren’t even going to mention how Bokuto bet on himself. It wasn’t even an option.  “The pool was up to <em>five hundred and fifty thousand yen</em>?!”</p><p>“The stakes were high,” your dad shrugged. “There goes our plans for a vacation to Guam.”</p><p>“Dammit. I knew I should’ve put it in a bet.” Kuroo rubbed at his eyes.</p><p>“Tetsurou?! You knew about this?! Were you and Kenma doing insider trading? That’s cheating!” your mom exclaimed. “Oh, who am I kidding? You’re too cute to be mad at.”</p><p>You watched the chaos enfold as your dad received a slew of text messages from your friends and family about the news. All your phones started to ring as multiple people called to confirm. Your business was out there for everyone to see.</p><p>Judging by the broad grin on Kuroo’s face, it was worth it.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I created <b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0hKpVyaFT61dcNNSRePfFo?si=fd508805ebde4af5">a collaborative playlist on Spotify</a></b> for this fic! </p><p>If you want to take a listen at songs that inspire me as I work through this, or want to add a few of your own, please feel free! I only ask that you don't delete any of the songs, even if you don't like them. </p><p>Also, the awkwardness/goofiness of the nsfw scenes in this chapter were intentional. As much as I love reading smut that fulfills every (impossible) fantasy of my favs being verifiable sex gods, I truly believe that good sex comes with the ability to laugh with your partner. Inexperience is OK, mistakes are OK, and it's truly a learning process to figure out you and your partner's needs.</p><p>Thanks for reading and have a great week! &lt;3</p>
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<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Serendipity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You and Kuroo struggle to find a solution to what could very well ruin your entire summer break.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Have a song that you feel relates to this fic/the characters? Add it to the <b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0hKpVyaFT61dcNNSRePfFo?si=fd508805ebde4af5">new collaborative playlist</a></b>!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Tetsurou, did you pack the sunscreen? I can’t find it.”</p><p>Kuroo sat cross-legged at the foot of your bed, sorting through his clothes. He shoved them inside his bag haphazardly and froze when he saw you giving him a flat stare. Now he had uncrumpled everything and went to fold them more neatly. At least you didn’t have to do it. You remembered taking over for him when he went to the training camp all those summers ago.</p><p>“Uh…I didn’t buy any.”</p><p>“What? I could’ve sworn it was on the list.” You brought up the text you sent him earlier that day. “It is on here!”</p><p>“Yeah, but do we <em>really</em> need it?”</p><p>“I don’t know, maybe you should ask your sunburned self.” You pulled up a picture of him quicker than he could open his mouth to argue. He’d been playing multiple sets with guys last year out in the bright summer sun with his shirt off. Eye candy as it was, he ended up looking like an old-school oni afterwards. It was not cute. “I don’t mind it if you want some color, I get it. At the same time, I don’t want you in pain and peeling around the apartment for weeks after we come home.”</p><p>Kuroo chuckled and glanced up at you. “What, you wouldn’t be into it if I was shedding all over the bed while I got you off?”</p><p>You bristled at his comment. You knew full well he was trying to embarrass you and get out of your scolding. “No way. You wouldn’t be able to touch me at all.”</p><p>The amusement in his face fell. “That’s harsh. Then what’re you gonna do without me?”</p><p>“I took care of myself just fine before you. You don’t have to worry about that.” You sighed and pulled the dresser drawer open to rifle through your clothes.</p><p>“Wait, where are you going?”</p><p>“I’m buying sunscreen. We’re not leaving tomorrow without it.”</p><p>“At least lemme go with you.”</p><p>You stared at the pile surrounding him. “Uh, you have a long way to go with packing. I’ll be right back, don’t worry about it. You can survive fifteen minutes without me.”</p><p>You pulled the shorts over your thighs and nestled it against your hips. It was disgustingly hot in the apartment since the aircon busted. You mostly went around the apartment in Kuroo’s old boxers, which he did not mind at all.</p><p>He made a face at you. Before walking past him, you ran your fingers through his hair and pushed it away from his forehead. He watched you leave the room and grumbled about being left behind. It was his own fault, really.</p><p>The beginning of summer break came along so rapidly you were caught off guard. One moment you were still getting the hang of college life, the next you were rewarded with a short vacation that would allow you to get your head back in the game for the rest of the year.</p><p>The day you were released from classes, you and Kuroo came home to find your apartment sweltering inside. You’d cranked up the aircon before you left and you knew for a fact that it hadn’t shown any telltale signs of breaking down. Hell, it wasn’t even leaking or making weird noises! You stumbled through the threshold and was sweating before you reached it to give it a good once-over.</p><p>“Don’t tell me it’s busted,” Kuroo groaned. “What is it with this place? Dobashi made it sound like paradise and all we ever do is file work orders.”</p><p>“To be fair, he hasn’t lived here for a while, so he couldn’t have known all this stuff was on the verge of dying.” You pressed the power button, first gently, then with a little more force than you needed to. “Come onnn, don’t do this! I don’t want to call the maintenance guy!”</p><p>“Why not? At least he always compliments you.” He warped his voice into a whiny, nasally drawl. “It’s always a good morning when I see you, ma’am! You’re looking even prettier today than usual! What I wouldn’t give for a wife like you!”</p><p>“Dieee.” You batted his hands away from your sides as he tried to draw you into a hug from behind. “I would love it if you at least <em>pretended</em> to put on the jealous boyfriend act once in a while! You never know, I could have a thing for silver foxes! Maybe he’s actually rich as hell and does this kind of work for fun.”</p><p>He only laughed in response and kept laughing until he dropped to the floor. You groaned and turned your attention back to the broken appliance that was clearly struggling to spew out warm air.</p><p>“Time to pull the plug, dude. Sorry.” You yanked the cord out of the wall and it died with a mournful splutter. “I’m opening the windows. This sucks, the sunlight comes directly into the living room all day. How could natural light betray us like this?”</p><p>He picked up your phone and nudged you with it. “Well, call your other man. I’m sure he’ll come running and we’ll have cold air in here in no time.”</p><p>“Please don’t make me.” You wandered over to the couch, ignoring him. “I don’t want him leering at me while I sweat through my shirt.”</p><p>Kuroo stood up from his spot and walked toward the balcony. Through the open door you could hear him on the phone with the maintenance guy. Success. The pouting girlfriend bit worked! You knew there was no way for you to thank him for getting you out of the awkward call. You roused yourself from the couch and lifted the curtain so you could sneak up behind him on the porch.</p><p>“Really? Well…that’s kind of a long time, I mean it’s only gonna get hotter.” Kuroo tensed when he felt your arms slip around his waist. You placed a few kisses on the curve of his back before resting your cheek against him. “Yeah, I understand. Thanks.”</p><p>He hung up and wrapped his hands around the brand new railing you had installed a few months back. “Well, I’ve got bad news. Your sugar daddy retired so he’s not going to be able to run over here to fix the aircon.”</p><p>“Whoa, seriously?” You were surprised to hear it. “He didn’t mention anything about leaving soon. Weird.”</p><p>“I guess during one of his jobs he took a fall and dislocated his hip. His kids made him give up what he was doing so he could recover. That was Dobashi, I asked him what the hell we were supposed to do since he said the new guy doesn’t start until two weeks from now.”</p><p>“Two weeks?” You ceased your lovey-dovey attitude immediately.</p><p>“That’s what I said. Dobashi said he’s going to call around to see if there’s anyone in the area who can stop by to take a look at it. The closest place said they’re backed up until sometime in the middle of next week. He said he could buy us some fans in the meantime.”</p><p>“Fans? You know all that does is blow the hot air around.” You groaned and headed back inside.</p><p>The living room was stuffy and even if the wind was particularly strong, there was no way things would cool down before nightfall. You took your time in opening up all the windows and pinning back the curtains so they wouldn’t get in the way. You even headed inside Kuroo’s room, which had been mostly abandoned since he slept with you every night, and hoped that you would get some kind of relief like this.</p><p>You walked out to see Kuroo wasted no time in stripping himself of his shirt. He even had his jeans balled up in the corner of the room and was in nothing but his boxers. You’d seen him do this too many times to count, especially since it was how he preferred to sleep. Skin to skin contact was his favorite. He opened the freezer door and took out two ice cream bars.</p><p>“Might as well get started on these.”</p><p>You sighed and plucked it from his grip, only for him to tug you by the wrist and plant a kiss on your neck. You squawked and almost dropped the dessert.</p><p>“Oh, gross, you’re sweating,” he teased. “All I could taste was salt.”</p><p>“Well, what did you expect?” You tore the wrapper open and took a bite from the top of the bar. It was heaven on your tongue. You let it melt in your mouth and got back onto the floor. It was nice and cool down there. You stretched your legs out in front of you and continued eating.</p><p>“Aren’t you hot? Don’t you wanna take your shirt off?”</p><p>You didn’t even spare him a glance. “I’m not going around shirtless. Nice try, though.” You should’ve have spoken too soon, because the ice cream decided it wanted to be a voyeur. A huge droplet splashed against the dead center of your chest. You stared at the spot for a long time before letting out an exaggerated sigh.</p><p>“Take it off,” Kuroo droned, hitting his fist against the carpet with each syllable. “Take. It. Off!”</p><p>You and Kuroo had certain boundaries you didn’t cross yet. One of them was you being naked in front of him. A lot of your time at night was spent fooling around with over-the-clothes grinding and mutual masturbation. Phone sex was attempted ONE TIME. You weren’t sure it would <em>ever</em> happen again given how he almost got you both caught. He thought hiding himself in the work bathroom was a good idea. The walls echoed, Imai walked in, he dropped his phone in the toilet…it was a bad time all around.</p><p>Needless to say, you still hadn’t gotten fully nude in front of him. You hadn’t taken your shirt or bra off, even if he desperately wanted you to. You weren’t comfortable yet. While he was okay with that, it didn’t stop him from teasing you.</p><p>As revenge, you dragged your tongue along the rivulet that streamed down the length of the ice cream bar, sucked the tip, then took a pointed bite from it.</p><p>“Wow.”</p><p>The rest of that day had been miserable. No amount of ice cream, cold drinks or high-powered fans Mr. Dobashi dropped off could make a difference. It was sweltering. When the sun set, the open windows only attracted bugs inside. You were miserable and so was Kuroo.</p><p>You couldn’t stand sitting next to him. As soon as your skin touched, his body heat choked you. You were always on the opposite side of the room. You sucked on ice cubes to take your mind off how badly you were sweating. The cold shower helped for about an hour, but then you felt as bad as you did before.</p><p>When it was time for bed, Kuroo trailed after you down the hall. You paused when you got to your doorway and turned around to look him in the eye.</p><p>“I don’t think I can sleep with you.”</p><p>He gaped at you. “What?”</p><p>“Sorry. You’re just too hot.” You kept talking before he could make a smug comment about how he agreed with you. “You run warm as it is. You always end up rolling towards me or using my chest as a pillow. If you do that to me tonight, I think I might murder you in blind rage. So…you should sleep in your own room tonight.”</p><p>For emphasis, you grabbed one of your pillows – which he loved to sniff because he was a weirdo – and shoved it into his arms. Kuroo couldn’t say a word before you left him where he stood.</p><p>He was upset with you the next morning and pouted all day about how he couldn’t sleep. He was dying of loneliness, blah, blah, blah. You ignored him. He kept his distance from you and you didn’t get to go through your normal routine of affectionate gestures. He made a move to wrap an arm around you? You shoved it off. He grabbed you for a hug? You wiggled out of his grip. He was starving for attention and was denied entrance to your bed yet again that night.</p><p>“Pleeeease. We can put a pillow between us.”</p><p>“<em>No</em>. I know you’ll just manage to throw it off the bed.”</p><p>By the end of the week, you could tell Kuroo was going crazy. As you wrapped yourself in a towel after another freezing shower, you overhead bits and pieces of his conversation over the phone with Kenma.</p><p>“Dude, I don’t know how much longer I can take this. I’m at my limit. She walks around in these short-shorts and they keep riding up on her thighs. I don’t care if you don’t need the visual! I already told you I want to die there, Kenma!”</p><p>You tried so hard not to laugh. You snuck off to your room and made a mental note to use that information against him the next time he made fun of you.</p><p>Your saving grace came in the form of a simple text message from Yukie. All it said was: <em>heard u need somewhere cool to stay. how about okinawa?</em></p><p>You immediately called her. She couldn’t drop a bomb like that on you. “Yukie! What’s up with this text you just sent me?”</p><p>She laughed. “You’re that desperate to get away from Kuroo?”</p><p>“You know what I mean.”</p><p>“My family was supposed to have a reunion this year and we rented a bunch of cottages near the beach. My grandparents backed out last minute since they said it was too far to travel. My aunts and uncles made up a bunch of excuses to get out of it since they weren’t going. So we have this reservation and I told my parents about your guys’ apartment needing repairs. They said we should invite you, Kuroo, and anyone else who I wanted.”</p><p>You could see how bright the future suddenly looked. “Yes! That sounds awesome! We could use a vacation away from this place. Who are you thinking of inviting?”</p><p>“Kaori, Bokuto, Akaashi, Minoru…could you ask Kenma and Yaku if they’re interested? I think it would be fun for all of us to meet up.”</p><p>“Hell yes! I’ll text them right now. I doubt it’ll be a problem since we’re going as a group. Send me the dates and I’ll let out families know, too.”</p><p>“Will do.”</p><p>You were so pumped that you barreled into Kuroo’s room. He was scrolling through his phone with the fan blowing directly in his face. “Hey,” he rasped. “I was just thinking about how thirsty I am.”</p><p>“Oh my god, that was the worst – wait, don’t distract me. Yukie just invited us out for a vacation to Okinawa! We can cool off by the beach and I know for a <em>fact</em> that the place they rented has aircon.”</p><p>He sighed in relief. “I didn’t know how much more of this I could take.”</p><p>“Same.”</p><p>“So…how are we getting there? Did they already buy tickets?”</p><p>You paused. “Uh…well…”</p><p>Traveling by air would be a couple hundred bucks. Ferries weren’t any cheaper. You had been putting away a little money every month, but not nearly enough to have that much you could withdraw comfortably from your bank account. Kuroo shook his head and with great reluctance you had to tell Yukie that you didn’t have the funds right now.</p><p>She typed back fairly quickly given her usual pace. <em>it’s ok. my older cousin is a flight instructor &amp; he’s happy to take us for free.</em></p><p>You showed Kuroo the text with a giant grin on your face. He smirked in response and you both stole off to make a series of texts and calls to let everyone know what was up. You and Kuroo also reached out to your coworkers to discuss coverage for the few shifts you'd been scheduled over the next week.</p><p>So here you were, currently traversing through the streets of Tokyo on your grand adventure to find sunscreen.</p><p>The corner store you and Kuroo usually went to was closed due to some busted pipes that left the storeroom flooded. That meant you had to venture out of your little bubble and head to the next store, hoping in the meantime you wouldn’t run into anyone you knew.</p><p>You looked like too big of a mess to see anyone right now. An over-sized t-shirt, shorts and unkempt hair would’ve been considered a chic look for the thin fashionista. On you? People just assumed you didn’t care enough about your appearance. What was the point in fixing your hair or makeup if it was going to melt off in your own apartment?</p><p>You entered the store and were blessed with an ice-cold draft. Yeeesss! You felt even better wandering over to the refrigerator section near the back of the store. You stood behind some guy reaching for a six pack of beer, pretending he was in your way, but actually soaking in the refreshing waves of air so cold that it left goosebumps on your bare legs.</p><p>After cooling off as best you could, you wandered through the unfamiliar layout of the store and tried to find the sunscreen. This summer was hotter than expected and that meant people were snatching supplies up. You found the aisle with the sunscreen, but there was only one measly bottle on the shelf. You wasted no time in making a beeline for it.</p><p>You reached out to snatch it off the shelf and you flinched when you felt a foreign sensation on your skin. You recoiled. When you turned to look at the offender, there was a guy standing next to you. He curled his hand into a fist and rested against his chest.</p><p>“Whoa, sorry about that! Here, you can have it.”</p><p>“Are you sure?” You tried not to think about what just happened. Failure. “You probably need it more than I do.”</p><p>His brows knit together. “Huh?”</p><p>You gestured to the object tucked under his other arm. “You play volleyball. Right?”</p><p>“Oh!” He glanced down and laughed sheepishly. “Yeah, I do. I thought maybe you were making fun of my bad sunburn.”</p><p>You hadn’t noticed it at first and now it was difficult to see anything else. “No! No, I wasn’t. Here, you should take this. I can find another one.”</p><p>He looked relieved. “Hey, thanks. I’ve actually been looking all over for some and I couldn’t find any. My team would kill me if I came back emptyhanded.”</p><p>“Who do you play for?”</p><p>“The Roppongi Rebels. I don’t know if you’ve heard of us, but—”</p><p>“V.League Division 2, right? Oh, wow! You’re a professional!”</p><p>He couldn’t hide his surprise and you almost laughed at how dramatically his expression shifted. “That’s right. Are you a fan of volleyball?”</p><p>“Actually, my boyfriend played in junior high and high school. I used to go to pretty much all his practices and games. What position do you play? Wait…” You gave him the once-over. “You’re a setter, aren’t you?”</p><p>“Wow, you’re good! What school did your boyfriend go to?”</p><p>The two of you chatted back and forth for a good while. You actually got pushed out of the way by an older man who was irritated you were blocking the way so he couldn’t use his walker. You continued chatting as he bought the sunscreen, and moved your conversation to the spot right outside the store. It was fascinating listening to someone who made a career out of the sport.</p><p>“We worked really hard to get promoted. I’m still kind of in a daze. There’s tons of really talented players out there. My team and I are aiming to get promoted to Division 1, but that’s gonna be really hard, especially since they look so close out our performance. Any kind of mistake just takes us farther away from our big break.”</p><p>You felt your phone buzz and glanced down at it. Kuroo sent a round of text messages checking up on you. You saw the time displayed on the screen and gasped.</p><p>“Shoot! I need to find sunscreen and I’m already late coming home. It was really nice talking with you.”</p><p>“Yeah, you too! Good luck on finding some, and thanks for letting me have this.” He shook the bottle with a warm smile.</p><p>“No problem. I better hear you guys won your next game. Make my sacrifice worth it.”</p><p>You shot off an apology to Kuroo and promised you would be home soon. Thankfully, the next place you walked into had sunscreen. You headed down the street with your mind still consumed with thoughts of the professional player you met.</p><p>“Hey, I was worried,” Kuroo started as soon as you walked through the front door. “You okay? Anything happen?”</p><p>You were touched he was so concerned. He’d always been protective. He used to play cool all the time and act nonchalant. Getting older and falling back into a relationship with you showed you sides of him that you didn’t even think he knew were there.</p><p>“I’m okay, I lost track of time talking to someone at the store.” You set the spoils of your victory down on the counter. “But I got the sunscreen! Are you done packing yet?”</p><p>He chuckled. “What do you think?”</p><p>“Please don’t tell me you’ve been procrastinating all day.”</p><p>“Guess you’ll just have to find out.” He grabbed your wrist and wandered down the hall to your room.</p><p>The suitcase was on the floor and already zipped shut. He got it done after all.</p><p>You went to congratulate him on adulting when he wrapped his hands around your waist and kissed you. He backed you up to the edge of the bed and you dropped down on the mattress with a soft bounce. Kuroo put his hand on your chest and pushed you backwards, encouraging you to lie down. You did so and stared up at him as he crawled on top of you. His free hand unbuttoned your shorts with a well-practiced motion and he tugged them down to your knees. You kicked them the rest of the way off.</p><p>“So,” he started, “ready for a taste of what’s gonna happen when I get you alone in Okinawa?”</p><p>You kissed him in response. You pulled away so your lips brushed, knowing this was his way of asking if he could continue. “Yes.”</p><p>“Are you sure?”</p><p>“Positive.”</p><p>Before he could make a move to slip his hand into your panties, You lifted your legs and wrapped your thighs around his waist. He sank down with his full weight and sucked in a sharp breath as you locked your ankles so he was forced to grind down between your thighs.</p><p>Kuroo laughed breathlessly as he kept himself up with his arms splayed on either side of you. “What? You don’t want me to show you what I’ve been practicing?”</p><p>“I mean, I am curious, but this way I can see your face up close when you get off. It’s hot.”</p><p>His face went red within seconds. “Hot how?”</p><p>“Because. You bite your lip and squeeze your eyes shut, and you always, <em>always</em> whimper my name and say you love me.”</p><p>“I do <em>not</em>,” he spluttered.</p><p>“Do too. Want to test it?” You brought him down further with your calves pushing down further into his back. “I bet you…two weeks of laundry duty.”</p><p>“Oh, you’re on.”</p><p>He started his rhythm, rutting into the damp spot spreading across your underwear. Knowing he was this worked up over you always gave your ego the boost it needed. You lost yourself in the motions for a few moments before you smelled something…off.</p><p>“Tetsurou.” You tried to say his name like a normal person, but he was doing so well between your legs that it came out as a gasp instead.</p><p>“What? You close?”</p><p>“No—”</p><p>“I can go faster—”</p><p>You forced yourself to stop rocking against him. “What is that? It smells like something’s burning.”</p><p>His eyes widened and he shot upwards to get off the bed. With you still tangled around him, the two of you ended up losing your balance and toppling onto the floor. You groaned in pain and clutched your arm.</p><p>“Argh! My funny bone!!!”</p><p>“My bad!” He didn’t spare you another look, because even with the tent in his boxers clearly visible, he darted out the room toward the kitchen.</p><p>You sighed. Mood officially ruined. Great job, Kuroo. You heard him muttering out curses and tried to regulate your breathing before you headed over to see what the damage was.</p><p>Kuroo stood in front of the oven and thick black smoke spouted from the open door. He went to grab the pan – bare handed – and burned himself with a hiss. You stomped over and lightly pushed him toward the sink so he could run water over it. You grabbed the potholder and yelled over your shoulder that he should NOT use cold water, which was what he was about to do.</p><p>You threw the pan onto the stove and turned the oven off. You had no idea what he was trying to make. The rock-hard mass in the middle was charred to a crisp and gave off a horrible smell.</p><p>“Alright, new plan,” Kuroo called out from the sink. “We’re ordering in.”</p><p>Well, at least your taste buds were safe tonight.</p><p>You had to turn in early because your flight left in the morning. You would be meeting the rest of the gang at the airport. You were still reeling over the fact that Yukie’s relative was a pilot. You wondered why he didn’t want to charge any of you for the trip. You were nervous to travel, sure, but a couple of hours in the air was nothing to get you away from the overwhelming heat of the apartment.</p><p>You positioned the fan toward the bed. “Well, this’ll be the last night you have to sleep in your own bed.”</p><p>“I’m still bummed we were interrupted earlier.”</p><p>“It would’ve been a disaster anyways, it’s way too hot to try to do that kind of stuff. Not to mention there was this little drop of sweat hanging from the tip of your nose. I was sure it was going to fall on my face and land right in my eyes.”</p><p>He sighed and trudged to his room. “Your fault for wearing those shorts. That’s all I’m gonna say.”</p><p>You had difficulty sleeping that night and not just because of pre-travel anxiety. It was miserable inside your room. The fan was on full blast. You were in nothing but a tank top and underwear. The sheets stuck to your skin and the glass of cold water near the bed turned lukewarm before you could even appreciate it.</p><p>Needless to say, by the next morning you were grumpier than usual. You stuck close to Kuroo the entire time you were on public transit. He sat close to you and you shared an earbud between you, lending you his shoulder so you could try to take a short nap between the jerky bus stops. You didn’t even care if you drooled on his clothes.</p><p>You felt slightly better when you got to the airport. Your mood only improved when you rendezvoused with friends you missed dearly.</p><p>“There you guys are!” Kaori exclaimed, running over with a big smile on her face. “We were waiting on you!”</p><p>“Someone woke up late this morning.” Kuroo smirked in your direction and wiggled his eyebrows.</p><p>“Ohhh.” She winked at you. “Wow!”</p><p>“Not like that,” you blurted. “He’s just teasing me. It’s so good to see you. How’s school going?”</p><p>“It’s great! I’m learning so much. I don’t know for sure what career I’m aiming for, but my classmates are all super nice. Come on! We’ll go to the terminal for private aircraft.”</p><p>You were comforted by the sea of familiar faces. Kenma and Akaashi were off to the side doing their own thing. Bokuto and Minoru were excitedly shouting at each other about who knew what. Yukie was chomping on a crepe she must’ve bought at one of the food vendors nearby. Yaku was the first one to notice you and he walked over with a relaxed expression.</p><p>“Long time no see!” He stopped in front of you and let you take him into a short embrace. “It’s nice to see you guys together.”</p><p>“Are you sure?” Kuroo teased. “I heard that you were the one who voted we might never get back together.”</p><p>He huffed. “Listen, I was one of the last ones involved. There weren’t many options for you to choose from. Everyone was betting under ten years, I was trying to be strategic. It’s not my fault Kenma’s brain is a supercomputer.”</p><p>“Well, that makes me feel a lot better. I knew you cared about us. And I know that even though Tetsurou can be one of the most annoying guys on the planet, that you two are BFFs.” You grinned at him.</p><p>Yaku shook his head. “You’ve been spending too much time together. He’s rubbing off on you.”</p><p>You didn’t have a chance to respond, because Bokuto caught sight of you and you spent the next five minutes trying to get him to put you down. Since graduating, he had been keeping up with endless practices. It showed. His body was somehow even more fit than he was a year ago. He hauled you off the ground with ease and bragged about how he could carry you and Kuroo couldn’t.</p><p>When he did let you down, you caught up with everyone else. You were so happy to hear that the year was going well for Akaashi and Kenma. They would be graduating in the spring.</p><p>“Okay, looks like we’re all good to go.” Yukie ushered you to follow her.</p><p>You weren’t sure what to expect when you crossed the tarmac toward the plane. Was Yukie rich and you just never noticed? You didn’t think so. You’d spent time with her family and at her house before. Still, maybe her cousin was well-off.</p><p>It was easy to see who her cousin was. He had that same sleepy-eyed stare that Yukie did. He was dressed professionally with the double-breasted dark jacket, gold accented buttons, and his signature cap. He waved you over and Yukie was quick to introduce you.</p><p>“I’m glad you guys agreed to this. We’ve been having trouble finding someone who doesn’t mind the experience.”</p><p>You found that hard to believe. What was cooler than flying in a private plane? It was a smaller aircraft, sure, but it was still impressive.</p><p>Your bags were taken from you to be loaded into cargo. You had a small carry-on with you just in case. It didn’t hurt to be careful.</p><p> You stepped aboard the plane and scanned the seating arrangements. The aisle made it so that on each side of the plane, there were two seats per row. It was a little cramped, though not as bad as it could’ve been.</p><p>“I thought we could do something fun and make the seats random!” Kaori stopped you before you could plop down. “I’ve got this app on my phone. It’s going to pair everyone up. This makes it a little more exciting.” She hummed a happy little tune as she entered everyone's names. “We’ve got an odd number, so someone will have a row to themselves.”</p><p>Kenma was about to volunteer himself for the position, but Kuroo hold him back by the collar of his shirt.</p><p>“Okay! Ready? Here we go! The rows are as follows…” She said your name first. “Looks like your seat partner is Akaashi!”</p><p>“Aw, what? That’s rigged,” Kuroo complained.</p><p>“Oh, shush! You have her all to yourself 24/7. Kuroo, you’re with…Minoru!”</p><p>“Great! It’s been a while since we’ve talked in person.” Minoru hustled his way to the nearest row and moved the armrest out of the way. “Sorry, my arms are usually too big for me to keep those down.”</p><p>“I’m next! I’m with…Kenma!”</p><p>Kenma didn’t seem too bothered. He would probably just fall asleep on the trip anyway.</p><p>“Bokuto, you’re sitting with Yaku!”</p><p>You tried so hard not to laugh, but it escaped you before you had a chance to stop it. It came out in the most obnoxious gigglesnort ever. Yaku looked like he’d been given a death sentence. He didn’t complain and merely accepted his fate. That was growth.</p><p>“Sorry Yukie, that leaves you by yourself.”</p><p>“It’s okay. I’m going to finish my breakfast.” She held up a giant paper bag filled with who-knows-what. You were always impressed with her love of food. Never stop being yourself, Yukie.</p><p>Akaashi let you have the window seat so you could lean up against the wall of the plane. You were grateful for that. You <em>had</em> planned to doze off for the duration of the flight, but it was too easy to strike up a conversation with him.</p><p>You shared a lot of similar hobbies. He loved to read from any genre he could get his hands on. He was a quiet guy first and foremost, he was quick to analyze text and it was fun hearing him break things down. Since last year, the two of you would read the same book and then talk about it at length. Kuroo actively called both of you nerds for that.</p><p>The few times you happened to glance in the direction of the aisle, you saw Kuroo blatantly staring at you. He was still bothered that you weren’t sitting together. Since he was in a row ahead of you, he even had to crane his neck back to get a good look. You made a few faces for the first couple of times, then you ignored him for the rest.</p><p>“We’re about to take off,” Yukie’s cousin came out from the cockpit. “I wanted to thank all of you guys for doing me a favor. My ex-pupil does have his private pilot license, but he’s been struggling to find anyone who was willing to give him a chance. Yukie said you guys would feel better if I tagged along. I’m happy to, though I will be acting as a co-pilot.”</p><p>You could scarcely believe what you were hearing. “Wait, you’re not flying? Who is?”</p><p>The intercom kicked on and you could hear a shaky voice over the speakers. “G-good morning, everyone. My name is Sakamoto Shinnosuke and I’ll be your captain today. We’re expecting clear, sunny skies and a smooth trip to Okinawa. Flight duration will be about…uh, two and a half hours, give or take. Thank you for flying with me.”</p><p>Your jaw dropped. “Yukie!” You whipped around in your chair to face her as she continued to eat. “You didn’t tell us that the guy piloting was a fresh graduate!”</p><p>“That’s why it’s free.” She shrugged. “He’s not allowed to take compensation for flying passengers. But he wants experience. It’s a win-win.”</p><p>“Are you insane?” Yaku rubbed his temples. “I can feel a migraine coming on.”</p><p>“Relax, everyone! Like I said, I’ll be there with him the whole time. You can trust me.” Yukie’s cousin flashed a charming smile. “I was the one who taught him everything he knows.”</p><p>There was nothing you could do aside from run off the plane. You didn’t like this at all.</p><p>Minoru went along with the flow of things and had no problem with the whole thing. In fact, he was touched that you were going to be engaging in a milestone in the young pilot’s life. Bokuto was antsy to go. Akaashi did his best to soothe your nerves by explaining the probability of a successful flight given his knowledge on plane crashes. Kuroo teased Yaku about how he would use him as a flotation device if you had to land in the water. Kenma had his headphones in and was so busy in looking up new equipment for his streams he didn’t even care.</p><p>You slumped back in your seat. “Keiji, if I die, please don’t let Tetsurou say anything at my eulogy. The world doesn’t need to know all my secrets.”</p><p>The plane taxied for a few minutes and almost all of you were sweating bullets. He had a straight shot out of the airport and floored it, the wheels turning at incredible speed against the rough concrete as you accelerated. You winced and found you were bracing yourself against the armrest. You all held your breath when the front wheels came off the ground and the weightlessness had your stomachs churning. You soared through the skies in a straight shot to Okinawa. Your heart was pounding the entire time.</p><p>“That was awesome!” Minoru shouted. “Great job, Captain!”</p><p>“He can’t hear you from the cockpit.” Kaori shook her head with a smile. “Does anyone have any gum? My ears are popping.”</p><p>“Hey Yukie, what about sleeping arrangements? Are those random, too?” Kuroo called out from the front. “If you guys take her from me for the week, I’m gonna steal her away.”</p><p>“Don’t worry about that. You guys will have your own room. Unless she’s like, dying to get away from you and begs us to hide her.”</p><p>Kuroo fake gasped. “She would never.”</p><p>“Uh huh.”</p><p>You felt a little better about the situation and you were still exhausted from the night before. You tried your best to sleep, even though the aircraft was freezing and your neck was sore from trying to find a comfortable spot. Akaashi seemed to notice you were cold and draped his sweatshirt over you. You didn’t even think to bring a jacket since it was so hot outside. He was prepared for anything. You curled up to keep warm and listened to the background conversations.</p><p>“Yaku, are you gonna see that girl again?”</p><p>“I hope so. She’s just my type. Thanks for setting me up, Kaori.”</p><p>“Don’t worry about it! Keep me in mind in case you meet anyone I might like, though. What about you, Bokuto? Do you have a girlfriend?”</p><p>“N-no…” You could just imagine his hair was deflating. “But I’m going to keep trying!”</p><p>“That’s the spirit, Koutarou!” Minoru cried. “I know! Let’s go to a mixer!”</p><p>“Oh, ew, a mixer? Hard pass! Don’t drag us into one, Yukie and I are still recovering from the last one. With the rate we’re going, all of us will still be single by the time Kuroo pops the question.”</p><p>“I just want a summer fling at this point. I don’t even care if we never talk again.” Yukie’s words shocked everyone. “What? I’m going to find a guy to kiss, even if it’s the last thing I do.”</p><p>“I can be your wingman!” Minoru cheered. “This is exciting. I’m sure there will be tons of people there for us to meet.”</p><p>You did hit some turbulence that woke you up. It wasn’t too bad. The landing was also a little rougher than you expected, but you were just happy that you made it without anything going wrong. The plane came to a halt in front of the terminal and you all stood up to gather your things.</p><p>“We’ll go over to the cottages first and get settled. Then we can hang out at the beach for the rest of the day.”</p><p>“Yay! I can’t wait to show you my new swimsuit!” Kaori locked eyes with you. “Yours, too! What did you bring? And if you don’t tell me, I’ll just ask Kuroo!”</p><p>She got distracted by something else before you could answer. You trailed after the group and found that Kuroo had sneakily gravitated toward you. He held out a hand and you took it without thinking twice. You were immediately teased by everyone else who saw the gesture.</p><p>You were excited even though part of you wished you had gotten more sleep. Okinawa was breathtakingly beautiful. The island felt like a different world from Tokyo. The sun felt so nice against your bare skin and warmed your bones. You took a deep inhale and savored the tinge of salt that lingered, knowing the ocean was waiting for you to drop by.</p><p>Yukie’s family was missing out. The cottages that you were staying in were adorable. Surrounded by coconut and palm trees thriving in the sea breeze, each building was warm, welcoming and the perfect place to relax. The outside panels were painted white with turquoise trim and each of them had a small set of stairs that led to the elevated porch.</p><p>“We’ll come grab you guys in like an hour.”</p><p>You said your goodbyes to the group as they moved on further down the beach. As soon as you opened the door, you were greeted with the sensation you’d been missing over the past few days. You went straight for the unit and stuck your face near the fan, closing your eyes and concentrating on absorbing what you could to make up for your earlier torture.</p><p>Kuroo joined in next to you. It was quiet aside from the outside shouts of some children running by. You couldn’t even hear any traffic. Your cottage was farther away from the others, a decision that you were sure you would have to thank Yukie for.</p><p>“You want to take a quick nap? I’ll wake you up in like forty-five minutes.”</p><p>You nodded and you raced to the bedroom together. It was filled with all sorts of beach décor. Shells, paintings of fish, and even a little glass dome filled with seaweed that looked as fresh as the day it was picked. You crawled onto the giant bed and spread out like a starfish. You were only trying to blend in with the rest of the sea life around you.</p><p>“I’ll set the alarm, actually. I could use one, too.”</p><p>You wasted no time in cuddling up to Kuroo’s chest. He sighed in relief. Your ear was pressed against his chest and you could hear the familiar slow thud of his heartbeat.</p><p>“It really did suck not being able to sleep with you,” he admitted. “I got used to it. Just another thing I owe Yukie.”</p><p>“I missed you, too. I feel bad that I had to kick you out, but I knew neither of us would be able to get any sleep.” You curled up closer to him. “Let’s get a bed as big as this one for the apartment.”</p><p>“Mmhm.” He didn’t say much else as you both drifted off to sleep.</p><p>His alarm went off and you reluctantly tore yourselves from the soft, lush bed. You stretched your arms over your head and went for your suitcase so you could grab the swimsuit you brought with you. It wasn’t anything revealing, not like Yukie and Kaori would show up in. Baby steps. You were nervous as hell because you chose a bikini top. You did pair it with a high-waisted swim skirt. It was nervewracking thinking about putting so much of yourself out there.</p><p>Kuroo wasn’t shy at all when it came to undressing around you. You’d already seen him plenty of times. He peeled his shirt off and left it on the floor, tugging his swim trunks up to his waist. The worst part was that he knew he looked good. Anytime he caught you staring, he would immediately smirk and start to put on a show. That usually ended with you throwing something at him.</p><p>You excused yourself to the bathroom so you could get changed. Unlike him, you hadn’t bared yourself to him completely yet. You felt guilty about it. He never pushed you to do anything you weren’t comfortable with and that usually meant that you kept some sort of clothes on whenever you were intimate with each other. You were embarrassed to have him look at you even without underwear or a shirt on.</p><p>You adjusted the straps on the bikini top and turned to the side to look at yourself. You zeroed in on the familiar rolls on your back, especially the ones that always peeked out from the band. It didn’t matter what kind of “smoothing technology” you put on your body. It was still there and you knew it.</p><p>You heard Kuroo call your name from outside. It seemed like Kaori and Yukie showed up right on time, though that didn’t surprise you given how much they loved to swim. You stared at your reflection for a few seconds and tried to think about the encouraging words I’d received from your friend overseas. She wouldn’t let you get down on yourself. She would tell you that you looked good as hell. You had to believe it and give yourself a break.</p><p>You stepped out and you froze when you realized that it wasn’t just Yukie and Kaori out there. Kenma and Yaku were standing around and observing the differences in your cottage versus theirs. You tried to play it cool and put your arms down at your sides.</p><p>“No. Way!” Kaori squealed. “That is so cute! Where did you get it? Is that a skirt? It is! Ooh, it’s so flowy!”</p><p>You bit your lip and jerked when Yukie walked up and put a hand on either of your breasts. She squished them together and nodded in satisfaction.</p><p>“Yup. It has underwire, no wonder your cleavage looks so good.”</p><p>“Y-you could’ve asked before you did that!” you stammered. “I could’ve told you!”</p><p>“I know, but I have boob envy.” She gestured to her own front. “Let me live vicariously through you.”</p><p>For one of the very few times in his life, Kuroo had nothing smart to say. He looked at you, then Yaku and Kenma, then back to you. It was like he was pleading them for help. Neither of them knew what to say, either.</p><p>Yaku finally crossed his arms and nodded at you. “It looks great. Are you going to be okay without a coverup?”</p><p>“Good idea. Thanks. I’ll go grab one.” You turned heel and ignored the clamor of the guys behind you. You heard Kuroo whispering sharply to Kenma and some muttering in response. You had the coverup in your hands. It was simple: black, lace and oversized enough that it draped down your thighs. “So…are we ready to go? I’ve got sunscreen in my bag in case anyone needs it.”</p><p>Kenma hadn’t made eye contact with you the entire time. You felt your heart sink at his reaction. Was he really that embarrassed to see you like this? For a second you doubted whether you should even go out without the coverup.</p><p>Kaori pushed the other two boys out the front door. “We’ll meet you outside!”</p><p>“Wait, Kaori—” You tried to go after her, but a voice behind you stopped you in your tracks.</p><p>“Hey.” You turned toward Kuroo. “Nice swimsuit.”</p><p>You stared at him openly. “Did…did your voice just crack?”</p><p>“You’re imagining things.” He approached you and tried to act cool, though you could tell you were right. He was flushed at the base of his neck. “Hey, since Yukie got to touch your boobs, can I—”</p><p>“What?” You covered them up instantly. “No!”</p><p>“Oh, come on—”</p><p>You dropped your chin down to look at them. “Is it that…bad? Am I showing too much skin? I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.”</p><p>“You picked that outfit out, right?” He waited for you to confirm this before continuing. “Then you like the way it looks on you. I, personally, find you insanely hot. I consider it an achievement if I get through the rest of the day without groping you at least once. But seriously, it’s hot as hell out there, you want to keep cool and look amazing doing it. So don’t let anyone else’s opinion get in the way of you having a good time. I can ogle you enough for everyone.”</p><p>You let out a shaky laugh and lowered your hands. “Okay. That was a good pep talk, ex-captain. You’ve earned your reward.”</p><p>“Hell yes.” He reached out and cupped your breasts with both hands, giving the padding of the bra a tentative squeeze. He was so enraptured with the feel of them that neither of you noticed the door open and more people walk in.</p><p>“What’s taking you guys so—WHOA!”</p><p>“Koutarou! You have to move, I’ll get stuck!”</p><p>You and Kuroo whipped your heads to find Minoru, Bokuto and Akaashi all crammed in the doorway. They were panicked when they realized they interrupted your moment, even more so when zeroing in on Kuroo’s hands. They were still wrapped around your chest. As if he was in a trance and couldn’t help himself, Kuroo gave you one more firm squeeze.</p><p>“OH!” Bokuto scampered backwards on his hands and knees, causing the other two to fall over straight into the room. “I WASN’T LOOKING!”</p><p>“S-sorry,” Akaashi blurted before turning heel and running out.</p><p>“You can perform the breast cancer screening later!” Minoru chirped, completely oblivious. “It’s much better to do without any coverings. You won’t be able to feel for any lumps properly like that. If you’d like, I can actually show you the best technique. After all, I do have experience from the medical classes I took when I was in the neighborhood watch—”</p><p>“Minoru! Get out!” Kuroo snapped.</p><p>You glared at him and tried to pry his hands off you. “Forget about him! Stop grabbing my boobs!”</p><p>“I can’t. My hands and your boobs are like opposite poles, they’re stuck now. I guess you’ll just have to deal with it for the rest of our lives.”</p><p>“Urrrghhh!”</p><p>“Helllloooo? Are you guys going to sneak off to get busy, or are you coming to swim!” Kaori shouted from outside the window, her voice muffled through the glass. “We’re wasting daylight!”</p><p>You squeezed Kuroo’s wrists and made him look you dead in the eye. “You can play with them later.”</p><p>“Promise?”</p><p>“I promise!”</p><p>“Alright,” he chuckled. “Score one for me.”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s the <em>only</em> thing you’re gonna score if you keep acting like this.” You looped the strap of the bag around your shoulder and headed for the door. “Stop looking at my butt!”</p><p>“How did you—I’m standing right behind you!”</p><p>“Uh huh. I know what you’re like. Just keep walking. And don’t get arrested for indecent exposure by getting another awkward boner. You can control yourself, Tetsurou, I believe in you.”</p><p>He shut the door behind you and you stepped out to the warm sand. Your friends were already making their trek down to the shore. Kuroo raced over to you, wrapped his arm around your waist, and kept you close as you trailed after them. You stole a glance at him and he did the same, shooting you a playful grin before bending down to kiss you. That would have to hold you over until you had some time alone.</p><p>Despite the crowds straight ahead, the nervousness in the pit of your stomach subsided. You had every right to be here and swim to keep cool. You didn’t have to cover yourself up to feel worthy of enjoying your time at the beach. You weren’t disgusting by default. You made this swimsuit look good and that was a fact. It was made for someone like you.</p><p>With your final negative self-talk dissipating, you readied yourself for the start of a well-deserved vacation.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I love writing about Kuroo short-circuiting because you, the reader, scramble his brain and ruin so many of his pants. You have unfathomable power.</p><p>Have a fantastic week and take care of yourselves! &lt;3</p>
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<a name="section0035"><h2>35. Assurance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kuroo isn't acting like himself. When you find out why, it gives you the final push you need.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Have a song that you feel relates to this fic/the characters? Add it to the <b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0hKpVyaFT61dcNNSRePfFo?si=fd508805ebde4af5">new collaborative playlist</a></b>!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You genuinely had no idea how chaotic it was going to the beach with a big group of guys, especially considering two of them had the attention span and personality of a golden retriever. Minoru and Bokuto already broke off from the group once the ocean came into view. Neither of them had even put a drop of sunscreen on their bodies. Kaori and Yaku screeched at them not to go too far and risk getting separated from you. </p><p>Their broad backs disappeared across the horizon and you exchanged looks with each other. Any outsider observing your rapidly shifting expressions would probably think it was the beginning of a mass hysteria. In reality, you were debating through the hivemind on who would go after them and drag them back.</p><p>“I’ll go,” Yaku groaned. “Akaashi, can you help me?”</p><p>Akaashi, who already had years of experience as Bokuto’s babysitter in high school, agreed reluctantly.</p><p>“They couldn’t have gotten far.” You tried to be encouraging. “They forgot the beach ball.”</p><p>“Yes!” Yaku’s eyes lit up and he took the flattened toy from the bag. “I’ll use this to lure them.” He popped the plastic out and started to huff into it to blow it up. Judging by the devilish grin on his face, he was looking forward to lording it over them.</p><p>“Good luck, guys.”</p><p>You found a nice spot in the middle of the sand. Kaori and Yukie went to work in lying down the towels while Kuroo set the umbrellas up. You and Kenma unfolded the chairs together.</p><p>You could already tell Kenma was well on his way to a sunburn, even from the brief time you spent outside. You grabbed the bottle from your bag and showed it to him.</p><p>“Hey, are you okay with me putting sunscreen on you? Your face is getting red.”</p><p>Kenma looked at you, then over your shoulder. You’d never seen him hesitate before. You could feel eyes on your back, and you knew who it was without even turning around.</p><p>“Don’t worry about him.” You spun your index finger in a circle. “Let’s go, Kodzuken.”</p><p>“Yukie, want me to put sunscreen on you? I know you always have trouble reaching on your back.”</p><p>She shook her head. “I’m going to wait for Minoru to come back and do it.”</p><p>“Oooh! What?! Do you have a thing for him?”</p><p>Yukie shrugged. “Not really. It’s just that I’ve never had a guy with muscles feel me up, might as well do it now.”</p><p>“That…is a very, very good point. I’m with you!”</p><p>You stifled a laugh as you poured the lotion in your hands. Kenma was already pretty pale, so he didn’t have to worry too much about white cast on his skin. You brushed his hair away from his shoulders so you had access to his back and as soon as you touched him, the muscles in his neck tensed.</p><p>“Hey, are you okay? If you don’t want me to, I won’t.”</p><p>He breathed in deeply. “It’s fine,” he murmured. “It’s just cold.”</p><p>“Oh, sorry.” You giggled and hoped that the warmth of your hands and the motions against his skin would warm it up a little bit. “Your roots have grown out pretty long. Are you going to re-dye your hair?”</p><p>“I don’t think so. It’s too much of a hassle to keep up with the blond.”</p><p>“I bet. It was a nice color on you, though. Not everyone could pull that off. Definitely not Tetsurou.” You heard Kuroo huff in objection from not too far away. You knew he was listening. He was so nosy, always ready to get up in someone’s business. “I’m really glad you decided to come, I know this isn’t your thing. We’ve really missed you.”</p><p>“Me too.” He jerked away from you when you reached for his arm. “I can do the rest.”</p><p>“Okay.” You put your hands in your lap, confused.</p><p>Kuroo took Kenma’s place without even saying anything. He sat right between your legs, facing in the other direction, and leaned backwards onto you with his full weight.</p><p>“Urgh! Tetsurou! You’re heavy!”</p><p>“Come on, I’m going to shrivel up in the sun like a raisin if you don’t put some on me, too.”</p><p>You sighed in exasperation and got to work. Kuroo was such a manchild sometimes. You had no idea what changed between him and Kenma in the past few months. He’d never acted this jealous or insecure before. What was even more frustrating was that Kenma was your best friend. You’d known him since you were kids and not having him around was weird.</p><p>Once he was fully covered on his back, Kuroo turned to face you. He took your hand and placed your palm on the smooth skin of his pectoral. It flexed under your touch. You felt lightheaded when you looked into those bedroom eyes of his.</p><p>Little did you know that he was trying to distract you. Because within the next few seconds, his free hand wormed over to the bottle of sunscreen, snatched it, and then squeezed the middle so that a thick line of lotion sprayed all over your chest.</p><p>“TETSUROU!” you bellowed, pushing him away from you. “Gross!”</p><p>He laughed so hard he was tearing up. The commotion caused the entire group to look over, including the two who you had to corral back into your sights. Once they saw the state you were in, you realized how it must’ve looked. You crossed your arms over your chest and stammered out that it was lotion. Yukie and Kaori only grinned at you.</p><p>“You freakin’…” You ran your fingers underneath the sunscreen until they were coated in it. You flicked it onto his face in a huge glob. “Suck it!”</p><p>“My eye!” He clutched his face and flopped backwards onto the sand. He batted your hands away as you moved to rub the rest of it all over until he looked like Sock and Buskin.</p><p>“See, this is why they’re perfect for each other,” Yaku sighed as he confiscated the bottle. “They both act like they’re still kids when they’re together.”</p><p>“I think this is just a taste of how it would’ve been if they went to the same high school.” Kaori giggled as she tied her hair into a fresh ponytail, the scrunchie clenched between her teeth. “They probably would’ve flunked out.”</p><p>“Yep. Lots of detention for not paying attention in class.” Yukie stood up and took a long drink of water to prep for the swim. “Kuroo would probably flip her skirt up and get dragged down the hallway by his ear by his teacher.”</p><p>They chorused with laughter.</p><p>“C’mon,” Kuroo gazed at all of them in offense. “I’m not that bad.”</p><p>“Yeah, you’re worse.” You stood up and allowed Kaori to grab your hand so you could head down to the water. “Stop pouting and let’s go!”</p><p>Now formally released from Akaashi and Yaku’s clutches, Bokuto and Minoru made a running leap into the water. They had been so excited to swim that they didn’t care about the overzealousness to their actions. Kids sitting around making lopsided castles in the sand only stared when they went by in a flash of brightly colored swim trunks and whoops of glee.</p><p>“I just hope they can get some of that energy out of the way so they calm down a little bit.” You lifted a hand and used it to cast some shade over your eyes.</p><p>The ocean was so bright today, its color a harsh blue that seemed too vivid to be real. Sunlight scattered glittering pinpricks of light across its surface. The water lapped at your toes and you wiggled them to squish the wet sand between them.</p><p>You stepped forward and tried not to step on any sharp rocks or – please, no – fresh, slimy seaweed. Kaori didn’t care. She sloshed around in the waist-deep water without a care in the world. When the water became too deep for you to comfortably reach the bottom, you let go of her hand so you could go the rest of the way by yourself.</p><p>Kaori disappeared under the surface of the water after propelling herself to the seafloor. She was so limber. You saw her glide underneath and do a few spins. She burst through to fresh air a good distance away with a bright smile and a wave.</p><p>You were happy to keep your own pace. You didn’t have to work as hard as she did to keep yourself afloat. Ah, the benefits of being fat. Buoyance was awesome.</p><p>You saw Yaku bending down to talk with a couple of little kids who asked him to help them with something. Judging by the way they kept dropping down with both hands splayed, they were catching tiny little crabs burrowing in the sand. He took the lead and was tasked with getting down on his hands and knees to track some. He ended up not looking where he was going and ran straight into a woman’s behind. The look on his face was priceless as she whipped around and called him a pervert before walking away.</p><p>Akaashi was swimming laps in the water. At one point he stood up to brush his hair out of his eyes and realized that there were several girls on the beach outright ogling him. He didn’t react very much to that. He only turned away from them and went back to swimming. You wondered if he was just that cool or if he wasn’t interested in the attention. That or he was clueless.</p><p>Yukie floated around in an inner tube decorated to look like a pink frosted donut. She somehow wrangled Minoru and Bokuto into taking turns pulling her across the water by making it into a competition. What a queen. Her rhinestone-laced shades nestled on the bridge of her nose as she soaked up the sun.</p><p>Kenma had taken a seat near the spot where the water met the shore. His legs were drawn up and he rested his chin on his knees. He looked pensive. You wondered if he was enjoying himself any. You had to be sure to keep him from feeling unincluded. You knew how that was and you wouldn’t wish it on anyone.</p><p>You didn’t need to wonder where Kuroo was, because he was never too far away. He made a beeline for you once he got into the water. It didn’t take more than a few seconds for him to catch up to where you were.</p><p>“Been wanting to do this forever,” he chuckled. You didn’t have a chance to ask him what he meant, because he reached behind your knees and pulled you into his arms bridal-style. You gasped at the sudden weightlessness and squirmed in his arms.</p><p>“Stop! I’m heavy!”</p><p>“Relax, the water is helping.” Unbothered, he started walking further from the shore. “Now I know how Bokuto and Minoru feel. It’s pretty awesome.”</p><p>You were so terrified of him hurting himself at first. You didn’t want him to put too much strain on his body. But after a few seconds of him casually carting you around, you did relax in his grip. You let yourself curl up into his chest and avoided eye contact with him. He would see how flustered you were straight away.</p><p>Although your time with him was enjoyable, something was still bothering you. You decided to go for it.</p><p>“What’s going on with you and Kenma?”</p><p>His place slowed. You craned your neck to look up at him. His hair still hadn’t gotten wet and thus his bedhead was in full swing. His expression was flat for a moment before he turned his attention back to the path in front of him.</p><p>“It’s not a big deal.”</p><p>“You guys have never had a fight before. Well, not a big one where it makes the mood all awkward.” Sure, there had been a few instances growing up where they disagreed on things. Sometimes Kuroo pushed him too hard and Kenma broke down. Kenma could frustrate people with how closed off he was. Over the years you learned patience and those issues faded away.</p><p>Kuroo sighed. “Look, I don’t want to make things awkward…”</p><p>“It already is. You both have been acting weird. If you don’t want to tell me right now, that’s fine, but I can just ask him directly.”</p><p>“No!” He stopped fully and gently set you back down into the water. It was shallow enough where you could stand. Kuroo glanced behind him briefly before he reached down to snatch your wrist. “Come with me, alright?”</p><p>You went around a rock formation near the shore and slipped behind it. It was tall enough where you had some privacy. Kuroo let go of you and reached a hand up to massage the back of his neck.</p><p>“You can’t tell him I told you.”</p><p>“Okay, I won’t. What is it? Did something happen?” Dread settled throughout your body. What if he was sick with something? Or he was moving? What if he ended up being stalked by one of his followers online? Your mind buzzed with possibilities.</p><p>Kuroo exhaled. “He’s been having wet dreams about you.”</p><p>You blinked. Stared. “What?”</p><p>“Kenma has been <em>having sex dreams about you</em>,” he repeated, thoroughly embarrassed. “It happened before and we kind of laughed it off. But it’s only gotten <em>worse</em>. He felt weird about it so he told me. What am I supposed to do with that?”</p><p>You wished you had never asked, because you had no idea what you should say. “I-I don’t know. So you got jealous? You’re making it so obvious.”</p><p>“Because he’s never talked about it before. Even growing up when we talked about you, it was always about how <em>I</em> felt.”</p><p>“When did this happen? Like a few months ago?”</p><p>“Yeah, but his most recent dream was last night. He told me when we landed. Well, he texted me because he was too embarrassed to even say it. Then you showed up in your swimsuit and I saw the look on his face.”</p><p>“Is that why you were acting weird?” You thought back to what happened earlier. “I don’t know what to say. Kenma is a guy, this kind of stuff happens all the time. I’ve had a sex dream before with someone who wasn’t you.”</p><p>Kuroo’s face fell. “What?”</p><p>“D-don’t give me that look! It’s not like I can control it! We need to stay on topic.”</p><p>“No way. You can’t just tell me that and not say who it was.” He was so hurt and you tried not to laugh. “Was it a celebrity or someone we know?”</p><p>You knew this was going downhill fast. “Dude! You’re going to get super upset.”</p><p>“So it <em>is</em> someone we know. Who was it? Akaashi? Minoru? Please don’t say it was Kenma, I don’t think I can deal with that right now.”</p><p> “Kuroo Tetsurou, I have never had a sex dream about Kenma,” you told him in a complete and utterly deadpanned voice. “Rest easy. We’re not having dream sex behind your back. If I tell you, can we please drop this?”</p><p>“Yeah, sure, fine. Who was it?”</p><p>“…ev.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I said it was LEV!” you exclaimed. “Okay?! And you can’t hold it against me because we weren’t even dating!”</p><p>Kuroo’s shocked expression would be forever embedded into your psyche. You didn’t know whether you should laugh or cry. He slumped against the rock and closed his eyes. “What did you guys do?”</p><p>“Absolutely not! I’m not talking about it anymore. Tetsurou, Kenma is our friend and if anyone should feel weird about the whole thing, it should be me. And I’m not going to take it personally or shame him because of it. He’s obviously feeling guilty enough as it is, plus, you know that there’s nothing between us. The only person who is going to have sex with me is you.”</p><p>“And Lev,” he replied bitterly.</p><p>“Don’t be such a baby!” You slapped his bare chest lightly. “If you’re that pressed about it, then I give you full permission to have a sex dream about anyone you want. There. Then you can stop whining about the wet dreams I had about Lev.”</p><p>“Dreams? As in, plural?”</p><p>“Okay, I’m leaving.” You planned to walk past him and thought better on it.</p><p>With Kuroo still in a daze, you whirled around to face him. It didn’t take much effort to pin him against the rock and kiss him hard. His arms snaked around your waist and he arched his back into you, his fingers trailing down to squeeze your buttocks. You rolled your eyes but let him do what he wanted. If this was going to make him feel better, then so be it.</p><p>You separated from him. Your lips were warm and slightly salty from the sea water. Kuroo looked off to the side.</p><p>“Alright, I’ll stop giving Kenma a hard time about it. It’s still weird.”</p><p>“It’s whatever. You know he cares about you and that’s why he’s all stressed out. He doesn’t want you to think badly of him. So let’s just put this behind us and pretend it never happened in the first place.”</p><p>“Fine, but I’m still kicking Lev’s ass when we get back to Tokyo.”</p><p>Elsewhere, Lev felt a chill down his spine and the skin on the back of his neck prickled.</p><p>You rounded the corner and swam back towards the shore. Your friends had been looking for you and were relieved when they realized you’d just been what they thought was fooling around. Only you and Kuroo would know the truth.</p><p>You stepped out of the water and Minoru bounded over to give you both a towel to dry off. You accepted it with a smile, brushing the droplets from your arms and wrapping it around yourself. The combination of the beating sun, the cool breeze and your wet body was only slightly uncomfortable. You would warm up in no time.</p><p>With you in the water for so long, it was no surprise you built up an appetite. There was a place right down the shore that sold food and drinks for tourists like you. You followed the group there, still clinging to your towel, and you trudged along the sand before stopping in front of the hut.</p><p>“Wait, I didn’t bring my wallet!” Bokuto shouted.</p><p>“It’s fine, we already have a card on file with them.”</p><p>You weren’t sure what you would order and you stood off to the side. The line was pretty long and only growing as more beachgoers decided they needed a refreshment. You zoned out for a little bit and hadn’t realized that someone was behind you trying to get your attention.</p><p>“’Scuse me, are you in line?”</p><p>You whirled around, embarrassed that they had to tap your shoulder. “No, sorry!”</p><p>“Hey…” The guy stared at you outright. You bristled. What? Was he going to make a comment about your outfit? Say something that would have your friends all over him? “Have we met before?”</p><p>“Uh…” You squinted. Between the brightness outside and the lingering sea water, your vision had gotten slightly blurry. “Oh! Sunscreen guy!”</p><p>He snapped his fingers with a grin. “That’s where I know ya from! I guess ya managed to find some, after all.”</p><p>“Yeah, actually! It didn’t take me too long. It’s nice to see you, what’re you doing here? On vacation?”</p><p>“Kind of. We’re actually practicing on the beach.” He jerked his neck in the direction of a rather loud and rambunctious group of guys. “Our coach says that playing in the sand is a lot different. The sand has more resistance so it helps muscle strength, we learn to be quicker on our feet…that kind of thing. It was disguised as a fun trip but really, it’s work.” He adjusted his stance and that was when you saw he was holding a volleyball under his arm.</p><p>“Is that like…a permanent part of your body now?” you joked. “Last time I saw you, you had it, too.”</p><p>“Aw, shit,” he grinned. “Ya got me. Y’never know when you’re getting challenged by a rival team on the streets. You’ve always got to have one handy, it’s in the pro league rulebook.” You noticed that he had more of a twang to his words today. He must not have been aware he was slipping up.</p><p>“Are you guys done for the day?”</p><p>“Not even close. We practice sunup,” he lifted his finger toward the sky, “to sundown.”</p><p>“Well, my friends all played volleyball in junior high and high school. I bet they’d love to play with you guys for practice. I mean, if that’s okay.”</p><p>His eyes sparkled. “Really? That’s great! We’ve mostly been playing each other, but this is way better for us.”</p><p>“I’ll ask them. Oh, wait, here they come now.” You waved over to Kuroo and Kenma, who were chatting quietly while holding their meals in one hand. “Guys, this is…um…I’m so sorry, I never got your name.”</p><p>“That’s okay. I never asked yours.” He shot them both a relaxed smile. “Okabe Tatsuya.”</p><p>You introduced yourself as well. “This is Kuroo Tetsurou and Kozume Kenma. Kenma is a third year at Nekoma and Tetsurou graduated this year.”</p><p>“Oh, I remember ya talking about him. You’re her boyfriend, right?” He chuckled. “She’s really nice, she gave up the last bottle of sunscreen to me at the convenience store the other day. She was just telling me that ya might be interested in playing a game or two with us. We’re getting in some practice and it’d be nice to have real opponents and not just go against our teammates.”</p><p>“Who do you play for?” Kuroo ventured.</p><p>“The Roppongi Rebels.”</p><p>As soon as he heard that name, Kuroo’s interest was piqued. He got this look on his face - the same feral smirk that he used to wear all the time when he was competing. Kenma looked like he would rather die than have to run around in the hot sun, but you all knew he would give in anyway because of how excited Kuroo was.</p><p>Kuroo cupped a hand over his mouth. “Bokuto! Yakkun! Akaashi! We’re playing volleyball after lunch. The faster lunch is over, the faster we can go!”</p><p>Bokuto cheered and his subsequent jump knocked Yaku’s food out of his hand. You had to run over to stop the two from going at it.</p><p>Since the guys all had a common interest, you decided to sit with them and have lunch. You were between Kuroo and Kenma while the former talked to Okabe. You knew they would get along. Everyone was excited to speak with an official pro volleyball team. Bokuto for sure was already well on his way to do it professionally, and surprisingly Yaku felt the same way. You hoped they would be able to use this opportunity to network.</p><p>“So you go to school and play? That’s a lot of work.”</p><p>“Yeah, but volleyball’s my life, ya know?” Okabe took a long drink of water. “It’s been my favorite sport since I was a kid. I’ve played basketball, football, baseball, ya name it! But volleyball’s the only thing that sticks. I knew once I graduated I’d do it professionally. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I do gotta juggle a lot when it comes to school, it’s worth it, though.”</p><p>You could see how enraptured Kuroo was. He hadn’t played volleyball in college so far. There was still something about it that reeled him in. It made sense. The sport helped him grow as a person. It was how you, Kenma and Kuroo became so close. It helped him break out of his shell. Volleyball introduced him to leadership, something he was undoubtedly good at.</p><p>“Alright! Let’s play!” Okabe jumped to his feet. “Don’t go easy on us!”</p><p>“Trust me, we won’t,” Kuroo grinned.</p><p>You, Kaori and Yukie sat on the sidelines for a little while to watch the game. You cheered for the boys whenever they scored a point. It was clear that while the professional players were incredible, Bokuto and Yaku left them no room to slack off. They had a camaraderie with each other from years of playing as rivals. Seeing them on the same side for once was enough to have you grinning from ear to ear.</p><p>You were ready to get back into the water, so the three of you left the guys for a bit. You swam and hung out in the sand. At one point Yukie fell asleep and you had to stop Kaori from writing on her back in sunscreen, though you did let her draw a tiny heart on her exposed butt cheek.</p><p>You were admiring the ocean, thinking about the future, that “life-changing” cake Kaori kept talking about, and whether or not you brought enough underwear when tragedy struck. You heard footsteps behind you and thought nothing of it. Within seconds, you let out an ungodly shriek while water – as icy as Yaku’s expression when someone made fun of his height – washed over you in a torrent. You tried to scamper your way out of the attack. The laughter ringing your ears only told you one thing: someone was going to die.</p><p>“Tetsurou!” you yelled, getting onto your feet. You nearly fell over because your swim cover-up was tangled around your ankles. “What the hell?!”</p><p>He already took off down the shore, laughing. You wasted no time in chasing after him. You knew that was what he wanted.</p><p>You cornered him on the far side of the beach. He had his back to the water and his body splayed. He rocked from side to side as if he was trying to fake you out. You took your chances and went for a full charge. He laughed and meant to dart out of the way, but he didn’t make it, because his foot slipped on a piece of seaweed and he went crashing down into the water.</p><p>You jumped on him in the water, knowing you wouldn’t crush him with your weight. You were in the shallower end so you knew he wouldn’t sink down to the bottom. You ended up sitting squarely on his lap and staring down at him.</p><p>“Happy now?”</p><p>“Very.” He grinned. “I got you alone, and you jumped me, what more could I ask for?”</p><p>“I’m going to bury you in the sand and leave you here for the rest of the weekend.”</p><p>He splashed you and you retaliated. You managed to crawl off him and you wanted to get back onto the sand, but he grabbed you by the waist and tugged you in to swim with him. You walked to where the water was up to your waist and spread your fingers through the water, simply enjoying the bursts of wind.</p><p>You spotted a figure coming your way and squinted. “Is that—?”</p><p>Kuroo didn’t hear you. He was too busy reaching for your back and tugging on the long string of your bikini top. You didn’t notice he’d undone it until the entire thing fell into the water.</p><p>“OH MY GOD!”</p><p>You tried to grab the top and it decided to float just out of reach. You rushed to put your hands over your chest, cupping your breasts to avoid exposing anyone, but it was too late. The person standing across from you had gotten an eyeful of your bare chest.</p><p>“Oh, shit!” Kuroo stammered. “I didn’t see him there!”</p><p>You could feel all the blood rush to your face. “You just MADE ME FLASH KENMA!”</p><p>Kenma was rightfully traumatized. The gears in his brain sputtered out and died. You could see him frozen in his stance, his hands still buried in the pockets of his light jacket. As the breeze ruffled his hair and cast several strands in front of his eyes, you suddenly remembered the secret Kuroo shared with you hours earlier.</p><p>“Dude!” Kuroo shouted, “stop looking!”</p><p>Kenma rebooted. He said nothing. He turned on his heel and walked away shakily. At one point he even stepped all over a kid’s sandcastle and didn't even flinch when they cried at him for it.</p><p>“Please tell me that didn’t just happen,” you whispered. “Poor Kenma.”</p><p>“Poor Kenma? Poor <em>me</em>!” Kuroo blurted, having snatched the bikini top as the sea tried to steal it away. He pressed the sopping wet cups to your chest. “He got to see them before I did!”</p><p>“That’s your own fault! What were you thinking?!”</p><p>“Uh, that I wanted to see your boobs!”</p><p>“Then this is what you deserved! I never said I was ready!”</p><p>“I figured I would get the top off and you would show them to me! I wasn’t going to force you!” He took in a deep breath. “Look, I’m sorry, I was messing around and I went too far.”</p><p>“Yeah, you kinda did. You’re lucky it was just him and no one else was around.” You took the top from his hands and did your best to slip it on. Your body was sore and soaked which made it more difficult. “Can you just retie it for me?”</p><p>“Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”</p><p>Kuroo’s touch was gentle and you could tell he was remorseful of the entire situation. This hadn’t been the first time he ended up hurting someone with a prank, and it certainly wouldn’t be his last. You knew him well enough to trust him that he didn’t intend to be pushy about looking at your body. Still…it was embarrassing that he was so interested in the first place.</p><p>“I can’t believe I just gave my best friend fuel for his sex dreams.”</p><p>You finally managed to laugh. “He could’ve at least bought me dinner first.”</p><p>Okabe and his team invited you to a bonfire party they already had planned. You didn’t feel too awkward accepting since it was an informal event. That and the team spent at least half the day with your friends playing volleyball. You decided to meet up after you all took a well-deserved shower, nap, and then had some dinner.</p><p>You were happy to sit down by the warmth of the fire as the wood crackled and sputtered out small bursts of light. The sun was long gone. The ocean had turned from fun and playful to eerie and ominous as the waves darkened to a color so deep that one would think it was made of ink. You welcomed the flames as they licked toward your spread hands, carefully eating away at the last droplets of water that stuck to your skin from your earlier shower.</p><p>“So you guys have never dated anyone else?” one of the team members asked you. “That’s so weird. I can’t imagine going out with one person and then sticking to it.”</p><p>“Tetsurou did have a girlfriend after we broke up, but it was only for a little bit.” Talking about it didn’t sting so much anymore. “But no, I never really had another boyfriend after him.”</p><p>“Then how do you know it’ll work out? Don’t you want to like, I don’t know, go out there and experience other people? You might not know what you’re missing.”</p><p>You shrugged. “I don’t care much about dating around, it’s not for me. And I don’t have any doubts. We’ve known each other forever and I trust him. When we’re together, everything’s just…better.”</p><p>“Wow. What about you, dude?”</p><p>“It’s always been her and always will be. It’s not that big of a deal.” Kuroo looked oddly proud of that fact. </p><p>You didn’t stay for very long. You had plans for tomorrow afternoon to go sightseeing. While not necessarily tired, the entire day was spent socializing and you were officially at your limit. You wanted to take a quick shower to get the sand off your legs.</p><p>You entered the cottage and Kuroo was nice enough to let you go first. You didn’t spend much time in the shower because you had other things on your mind. You went to the bedroom and could already feel the knot in your stomach start to tighten. You listened for him turning on the water and kept glancing at the clock to see how many minutes had passed since he went in. It felt like forever ago.</p><p>Kuroo entered the bedroom and was already in his boxers, though he did forego a shirt. He tossed his dirty clothes in the nearby basket and was busy rubbing the water out of his hair with his towel.</p><p>He finally caught you staring. “What?” he mused. “Do I have something on my face?”</p><p>In response, you stood up and gently took the towel from his hands and set it on the bedside table. Kuroo didn’t protest when you took his hand so he could sit down with you. He leaned into your touch and his eyes were half-lidded, that dreamy stare coming across his face.</p><p>You tilted your head and kissed him. He returned it without asking why. You started off gentle, as you always did, before the pace quickened. He went back for more, more, more. You guided his hand over to your chest. Instead of having him touch you over your shirt, you let his palm slide underneath the thin fabric. He brushed up the plane of your stomach and all the way to your bare breasts.</p><p>He didn’t say anything. He didn’t even glance your way. He cupped them gently and brushed his thumbs over your nipples, drawing small circles along your skin. You squeezed your eyes shut and tried not to think about whether he would like them or not. The band aid had to come off. Gathering as much strength as you could, you swallowed your fears and tugged the shirt over your head and tossed it to the side.</p><p>Kuroo pulled his hands back so he could get a good look at you. You squirmed under his piercing stare and found your shoulders slumping. This was the first time he’d seen your entire torso exposed and it was nervewracking. You sucked in your belly, even knowing that it would make no difference.</p><p>“You don’t have to tell me you like it, I know I don’t look like I’m supposed to.”</p><p>“What are you talking about?” He reached forward again and rolled your left nipple with his index and thumb. “I’m drinking it in, I’ve only been waiting for this day since I was like thirteen.”</p><p>You laughed weakly. “So…I was really worried about how you’d react. I’m not proud of anything, really. I didn’t want you to get grossed out.”</p><p>“There’s nothing gross about it, it’s literally better than I even imagined.” He leaned over and placed a firm kiss on the swell of your breast. “So you weren’t joking earlier when you said you’d let me play with them, right? Or is this just show and tell?”</p><p>“This is definitely a hands-on experience.” You tried to level out your voice. “I want you to touch me and…well, do anything you want to me.”</p><p>Kuroo took you in a brief kiss as his hands went to work. You knew he was always fixated on your chest. His hands were warm and rough against your skin. He wasn’t shy at all, not when pinching them lightly and swiping his thumb over the dead center, and definitely not when he broke away from you and trailed kisses down your neck and onto your cleavage.</p><p>He closed his mouth around your left breast and his tongue started doing downright sinful things to the sensitive bud, your thighs clenching tight as you struggled to keep yourself in check. You cupped the back of his head and grabbed some of his hair when he sucked harder, even nipping once to see how you would like it, then lapping around it until you whimpered for him to stop.</p><p>“Sorry, I got kinda carried away.” He rubbed his mouth on the back of his hand. “Can I at least do the other one? I can tell you’re into this.”</p><p>“Yeah, okay, just be gentle.”</p><p>“Don’t worry.” He kissed your chest again. “I will.”</p><p>You spent the new few minutes drowning in the sensations of his mouth, lips, tongue and teeth. He was doing his best to keep you comfortable. He held himself back at some points and you appreciated him for not going for it without asking you. You were overwhelmed with arousal and knew you were soaking through your panties. You hadn’t put on any shorts. You shifted and slipped your fingers into your underwear so you could touch yourself as he lavished you with attention.</p><p>“Oh,” he mumbled. “I can do it.”</p><p>“Let me.” You tangled your fingers back in his hair. “Please.”</p><p>Kuroo groaned and went back to work. He was more attentive than before. He could tell what movements made you flinch, what made you gasp, and the special spots that had you squeezing your eyes shut. If you were ever grateful for him being as perceptive as he was, it was now. He switched from side to side, never letting up, muttering under his breath about how hot you were, how good you looked, how he had wanted to do this with you for years, and how he couldn’t believe he was actually with you like this.</p><p>“I love bringing you over the edge, you know?”</p><p>With his mouth still wrapped around your areola, he snaked his hand downwards and pushed your fingers out of the way. He’d gotten so much better at exploring you even without the visual. He rubbed against your clit, the pads of his fingers rough and going at a mind-numbing pace, and your thighs started to quake.</p><p>“T-Tetsurou, I…”</p><p>You were on the edge, teetering, about to fall. You gripped his arm and dug your nails into his skin. He didn’t seem to notice the pinpricks of pain. He pulled back enough that you saw a thin strand of saliva connect from his mouth to your breast. His tongue stuck out and he prodded at your nipple. You choked back a cry and then…</p><p>He removed his hand out of your panties and your orgasm cut off abruptly. You watched in shock as he marveled at how slick his fingers were, sticking one of them in his mouth and sucking on it hard.</p><p>"What the hell?" you breathed. "I was so close."</p><p>"I wanted to get you off by going down on you."</p><p>"Well you can't just leave me hanging like that! We have to talk about stuff like this! Imagine if YOU were about to come and I just pulled away from you!"</p><p>You were huffy and upset. He just didn't get it. Your hopes for a pleasure so intense that your toes curled were dashed away.</p><p>"Sorry," Kuroo mumbled, his ears red. "I just have been thinking about eating you for like, weeks. You've never let me do it before and you haven't tried to do it to me, either."</p><p>"That's because I...” You trailed off, embarrassed at how you could word this. "I don't want to hurt you. You read all these horror stories about girls messing up blowjobs by using their teeth, gagging, choking, throwing up...I don't want to ruin the experience for you. I know I won't be any good at it. I can't deepthroat you like all those super experienced girls can. I wish I could."</p><p>"Look," Kuroo sighed, reaching over and brushing the threads of hair sticky with sweat out of your eyes. "Let's be real, neither of us knows what the hell we're doing. But we're learning together. I know you'd never hurt me on purpose. And when we do mess up, we always manage to laugh about it."</p><p>You swallowed hard. "I know. I just wish I could make you feel good."</p><p>"You already know you do, and we haven't even went all the way yet," he pointed out. "If there's anyone I trust handling my dick, it's you. That's true love."</p><p>"Oh my god, you’re awful," you laughed. "Also, I'm...you know, I don't like my body very much most days. Even sitting here in front of you without a shirt or bra on is so nervewracking. And it's not like I've busted it open for anyone, so I don't want to disappoint you."</p><p>"Bust it open?" he repeated with a snicker.</p><p>"Shut up..."</p><p>Kuroo ran his hand over your thigh. "You know I'm not gonna judge you. We don't have to do this if you don't want to, though. I'm not trying to be the pushy boyfriend who ends up scarring you because I can't keep it in my pants. I've tasted you and I like it, I want to know how to make you cum with my mouth. That's all there is to it. And this time you definitely have showered and I'm guessing you've cleaned yourself up, because everything is nice and tidy down there from what I felt."</p><p>"Yeah, okay, you're right. It is.” You took in a deep breath. "The truth is, I want to try it, too. I'm overthinking it. You've seen part of me no one ever has, and no one ever will. You never make me feel ugly or weird, so...” You swallowed hard and spread your legs slightly. "I want you to."</p><p>He grinned. The simple things really got a kick out of him. You felt his thumbs hook underneath the band of your panties, specifically the area resting on either hip. He dragged it down past your knees and ankles, struggling to get them over the ball of your foot before they dropped off the bed. You trembled when he urged you to lie back so you were more comfortable.</p><p>You glanced down and saw him push your legs apart, his palms scorching against the sensitive skin of your inner thighs. He was biting his lip and gazing at you wholly, drinking in every inch. You blinked back tears and rolled your eyes toward the ceiling.</p><p>"Hey," Kuroo murmured, drawing up so he could survey your expression. "Are you crying?"</p><p>"No," you told him, though your voice still shook. "I promise I want this. I'm just really scared. And anxious."</p><p>"Look, I told you, if you're not ready, we don't have to. I'm not trying to make you so upset you start crying. I can wait."</p><p>You shook your head. "It's not that. It's not you. It's just scary. No one has ever seen me like this before. I know that tons of girls have chub rub and it makes the skin between their legs darker, but it still sucks. I know I'm not flat and smooth. There's blemishes and cellulite on my skin, too. Your body is so gorgeous and mine is like a joke in comparison."</p><p>Kuroo searched your expression. You could tell he wanted to be a little tough on you so you would snap out of it, but instead he went for the gentle approach.</p><p>"I've loved you since I was a kid," he reminded you. "And I love you even more now than I ever did. Everything about you drives me crazy. You seriously don't get how into you I really am. You know how easy it is to get me off, and even now I'm trying to keep it together for you. If you weren't open with how much you're freaking out right now, my face would've already been buried between those legs."</p><p>He kissed you gently and kept eye contact with you.</p><p>"So tell me now if you want to stop. I'm not going to judge you. If you're not ready, you're not ready."</p><p>You nodded at him. "I'm ready. I trust you."</p><p>"Then you have to be upfront about whether you like what I'm doing." He went back down between your legs and slipped his finger between your folds, pleased with himself at how wet you were. You felt him graze your clit and he used his middle and index finger to spread you open to peer at everything.</p><p>Kuroo smirked. "Damn. I'm going to start, alright?"</p><p>"Okay..."</p><p>You knew Kuroo was used to the way you tasted since he often liked to lick his fingers clean, but having him tongue you was an entirely different experience. You realized your body had been tense the entire time. He reached up and grabbed your hand to lace your fingers together. You relaxed a little bit, only to gasp when his tongue flattened up against you and stroked upwards, all the way from your entrance to your clit. He swirled his tongue around the hood, careful not to add too much pressure, and brought his lips together to suck every inch he could reach.</p><p>"Fuck, you tathe gooth," he groaned, lapping methodically.</p><p>"D-don't talk with your mouth full, it's weird!"</p><p>He chuckled and squeezed your hand. You melted into the mattress and your mouth parted. The sounds were too much at times. He was being so messy. He didn't care how much of a mess he was making and when he pulled back to slip his finger inside you, his chin was completely soaked. He snuck a glance at you before going back in.</p><p>You were just starting to feel something coming along, the beginnings of your buildup, when you noticed Kuroo had slowed down. He had his fingers digging into your thighs and his head was moving back and forth more than his tongue. You blinked and called his name.</p><p>"Are you okay?"</p><p>He was quiet for a second. "My...jaw is getting tired."</p><p>"Oh," you laughed. " You can stop. It felt...really, really good."</p><p>"Yeah, but you didn't even—"</p><p>"Not everything is about an orgasm, okay? Sometimes it just feels good and that's fine, too. I don't want your jaw to lock. How am I supposed to explain it to the nurse in the doctor's office."</p><p>He still had his fingers inside you and was thrusting them in and out. "But you can get off like this."</p><p>"If you play with my clit, yeah...I'm not going to cum just from penetration, sorry."</p><p>"Gotcha." He used his other hand on your clit. "I'll make this quick, I want to do other stuff, so..."</p><p>"You're that confident? Go for it."</p><p>Kuroo was a fast learner and always had been. He surveyed your expression for everything that made you sigh or twitch in his hands. Sometimes he still fumbled and went too hard or fast, but he was always open to redirection. Tonight, with your body already buzzing and high alert from his earlier time spent with your breasts and mouth between your legs, you knew you weren't going to need much to reach your peak.</p><p>"You're so damn tight and warm, you're sucking my fingers in." He stared at them every time they disappeared inside your body. "I wonder how many fingers I can fit inside?"</p><p>You trembled. "T-Tetsurou—"</p><p>He grinned. "I know you're close when you start doing that. Tell me what you want. I wanna get you there."</p><p>You mumbled something and he must've heard you, because the tension started rising in your belly. You squeezed your legs shut but he forced them open, staring intently as you soaked him all the way down to his wrist. He angled his wrist so his fingers could go in deeper and curled his fingers upwards, causing you to roll your hips against his hand.</p><p>You didn't have a chance to tell him you were close, because you came. Kuroo laughed as you came undone. He was enraptured with the fact that he could get you to feel this intensely. It was quicker than you would've liked, but you rode it out regardless. You stared up at the ceiling and felt the sweat soak the pillow behind you, everything sticky, wet and filthy.</p><p>He stepped back to admire his work. "Nice," he murmured, running the tip of his finger down the length of folds. "You okay?"</p><p>"Fine...” You struggled to sit up. Your head felt cloudy. "Um, is it okay if I return the favor?"</p><p>He stared at you with his cheeks rosy and jaw clenched. "You sure?"</p><p>"Yeah, I just...I know I said I'm scared, but I know you'll let me know if I do something wrong.” You crawled across the bed towards him. "I want to know how to do these things because, well, there's no way for me to know without experience, so..."</p><p>Kuroo ended up on the edge of the bed. You were crouched on the floor so you were at the right height to look at him fully. You didn't want to try to crane your neck or get into an uncomfortable position on the bed. After discarding his boxers, you stretched your hand out and stroked him from base to tip before realizing you needed something slick to get the job done.</p><p>"I brought lube—"</p><p>"Yeah but, you're gonna use your mouth...you won't need it. It'll taste bad."</p><p>He had a point. You licked your lips and cursed your mouth for being so dry. "Can I drink some water first?"</p><p>Kuroo reached over to the bedside table and handed you the bottle. You guzzled it down and wiped some of the droplets that escaped the corner of your mouth. You were so nervous your hands were shaking.</p><p>You took him in your hand and zeroed in on the flushed head, dark red and dripping. You gave it a soft kiss and he shuddered, tossing his head back and hips angling more towards you.</p><p>"I'm going to try and um, just put it in my mouth? I don't want to hurt you in case I go down too far and scrape you, so..."</p><p>You did just that. With as much care as you could, you fastened your lips around his head and swiped your tongue over the tip, your cheeks hollowing so you suckled him noisily. It wasn't a pleasant taste by any means, though it was far better than the first time you tasted him. He was bitter and salty, sure, but it was tolerable. You ran your hand along the rest of him so he didn't feel neglected. You pulled back with a purposeful pop and swallowed to get the taste out of your mouth.</p><p>"Could you try going a little further?"</p><p>"Okay...please push me away if I hurt you."</p><p>You wanted this to be a good experience. You really did. You opened your mouth and let your tongue stick out so you could use it to cushion the underside of him. Kuroo took one look at that and panicked.</p><p>"Wait...holy shit, wait. I need a second."</p><p>"What?" You were so embarrassed. You probably looked so goofy.</p><p>He ran his hands over his face and rubbed at his closed eyes. "I almost busted all over your face."</p><p>"Oh, wow," you blurted, "I'm that good, huh?"</p><p>"Yeah, you are." He showed you a wobbly smile. "I've been trying to work on my stamina, so I can keep up with you. Feels like you just look at me and I wanna cum."</p><p>You let him have a moment to calm himself. He was still painfully hard. You let him take his time before he gave you the go ahead.</p><p>Same as before, you approached him with your mouth wide open and ready to pop him in your mouth. You felt the head slide across your tongue and settle down in your mouth. He was warm and hard, the bitter taste hitting the back of your throat. You held him in your mouth and pursed your lips so you could close them over your teeth. The loud sucking noise caught you both off guard and you could feel him throbbing in your mouth.</p><p>"Your mouth feels so...<em>good</em>," Kuroo gasped. "If this is how it's gonna feel inside you, I don't think I can last."</p><p>You sucked him lightly in response. You were still trying so hard not to make a mistake. All you could focus on was where your teeth were at all times. You started up a very slow rhythm with just the head in your mouth. You went to take him all in one go and you could feel the edge of your teeth scrape his skin.</p><p>"Ow—"</p><p>"I'm sorry!" you exclaimed, pulling off him. "I didn't mean to."</p><p>"I was just kidding, it wasn't that bad." Kuroo chuckled at your flustered expression. "Keep going. You're doing awesome."</p><p>You slapped his thigh halfheartedly. You went back to pulling him into your mouth. Your hand stroked him in the places you knew you may never be able to reach someday. Just the thought of taking his entire length into your throat terrified you. You massaged the base of him and went down to cup his balls. He gaped at you when he realized what you were doing. You didn't want to go overboard, so your squeezes were done with the barest amount of pressure as you fondled him.</p><p>"Shit, shit," Kuroo panted. "I am so damn close."</p><p>You thought he wanted you to keep going and prepared yourself for the worst. You would have to deal with a mouthful of his cum. You stifled your panic and sucked him more messily, your saliva dripping down the sides.</p><p>Kuroo put his hands on the back of your head. You thought he was doing it to fulfill his power trip, but that thought was cut off when he pushed his palm downwards and shoved you down until your nose hit his crotch.</p><p>You gagged and immediately broke away from him. Your eyes stung and you coughed, your throat raw and sore. Kuroo looked panicked.</p><p>"What the hell," you sputtered. "Don't do that! I almost died!"</p><p>"Fuck, I'm sorry," he stammered. "It felt good and I was thinking about what I've seen in porn and stuff—"</p><p>"Porn isn't real life, dude!" You sniffled and tried to stop your eyes from watering. "I'm telling everyone you almost choked me with your dick."</p><p>"It was that big, huh?"</p><p>You wished you had something to throw at his dumb, hot face. "I'm okay, my throat is just sore. You're lucky I didn't bite down."</p><p>He groaned and flopped backwards onto the bed. "Is sex always gonna be this awkward?"</p><p>"No. It won't. That's why we need to practice. And why you need to not...do stuff you've seen in porn.” You felt bad scolding him when you knew he really didn't mean to hurt you. "Water, please."</p><p>He handed you the bottle again and you were relieved when the cold soothed your throat.</p><p>After downing the bottle, you got onto the bed with him. You were going to kiss him, but thought it might be awkward since you just had him in your mouth.</p><p>"Let's start over, okay?" You reached up to brush that unruly lock of hair out of his eyes. You put your palm on his bare chest and reached down to plant a series of warm, playful kisses on his skin. "I like doing this with you. You make me feel really good."</p><p>He finally stopped brooding and accepted the kiss you offered him. He put his hands on your waist and ran his fingers down on your sides, making sure to give extra care to the stretch marks on your skin. He settled on your hips and broke off so he could ask you to sit between his legs.</p><p>You did him one better. You crawled onto his lap. He stared up at you in wonder and like you were a gift from god. You still had your hands covering your chest when you positioned yourself right over his length. You sank down and pinned it to his belly, encompassing him with your folds.</p><p>Kuroo didn't say anything, but he did push your hands away so he could palm at your chest. You placed your hands on his thighs and rolled your hips against him, grinding against him, slippery and using your own juices as lubricant. It was one thing to do this when you were wearing underwear, but feeling him rut against your clit directly was an entirely different matter. You picked up the pace and didn't let up, his hands moving to your hips so he could steady you and help you bounce.</p><p>Kuroo looked like he was on the verge of passing out. You took one look at his blissed out expression and took the plunge.</p><p>"Tetsurou," you whimpered. "I want to have sex."</p><p>"What? Isn't that what we're doing?" he slurred. "Where did you learn to move your hips like that?"</p><p>You shook your head and slowed your pace so it was agonizing. "I mean, I want you to put it inside me."</p><p>He went completely red. "Are you serious?"</p><p>"I want to so bad. If you're still not ready, then maybe you can just use your fingers again—"</p><p>"Oh, fuck that. I'm ready. I've been ready. Is this really happening?" He was ecstatic and embarrassed all the same. "Oh, shit, I don't - I don't have any condoms. I'll have to sneak out to the store and buy some. I don't even know my size. "</p><p>You huffed and stared down at him. He was getting so wrapped up in the protection aspect that he didn't even give you a chance to speak.</p><p>"We don't need condoms."</p><p>"Yeah, we do, unless you have some. Did you snag some from that nurse handing them out on campus?"</p><p>"No! I'm saying, you don't need to wear a condom. I'm on birth control."</p><p>He stared at you. "You <em>are</em>?"</p><p>"Yes, for like six months now. I was tired of having painful, heavy periods. So you don't have to use a condom."</p><p>"Yeah, but even with just the pill, there's still a chance. And I love you, but I don't want kids yet."</p><p>You reached forward to cover his mouth with your hand to stop him from rambling any more. "I'm not on the pill. I have an implant. I'm not ovulating. Pills are shit for preventing pregnancy for fat people, anyways. So we can have sex without a condom. And...not only that, but you can cum inside me."</p><p>He had gone a little soft since you started talking, but he was hard now. You pulled your hand back and he struggled to find the right words.</p><p>"So...I get to go in raw...and I get to know what it feels like to cum inside you?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>He grinned up at you. "You're sure? You're really ready? You want to have sex with me?"</p><p>"I'm <em>sure</em>, okay?"</p><p>"Then what the hell are we waiting for?"</p><p>He practically ran off the bed to retrieve the lube you brought after you let him know where it was. He squirted it directly on his erection and stroked himself a few times. He brought the bottle over and coated his fingers in it before spreading it around your folds.</p><p>You clambered off him and he wasted no time in waiting for you to lie back. He wanted to be on top. He wasn't even able to contain his excitement, this goofy smile on his face the entire time. He waited for you as you got comfortable and drank in the sight of you, naked and anticipating his next move.</p><p>"I know you don't believe me, but you're gorgeous," he admitted. "I'm damn lucky that I'm the only guy who's seen you like this."</p><p>You spread your legs so he could position himself between them. He learned over and gave you a few messy, open-mouthed kisses.</p><p>"Ready?" he asked, holding himself in his hand.</p><p>"Yeah. I am."</p><p>Kuroo moved forward and you felt the tip of his cock press up against you. You braced yourself. You realized you were tensing and tried so hard to relax, not wanting him to get uncomfortable with how tight you were when clenching around him. After a few tentative prods, Kuroo pushed forward.</p><p>The head slipped past your entrance and bumped up against your clit. You stared at him.</p><p>"Uh, shit, hold on." He tried again, guiding himself down to the hole and once again failing to slip inside. He gulped and attempted it a third time. His hands were starting to shake and you reached down for him.</p><p>"Relax. Let me help you."</p><p>He watched in wonder as you wrapped your hand around him and pushed him against you. This time, there was no awkward sliding around. You felt the head push through the ring of muscle and he slipped inside you with minimal effort, filling up every inch of you.</p><p>You gasped. "Oh..."</p><p>"Fuck, fuck," he panted. "I'm...I'm inside of you. Y-you took all of me. You okay?"</p><p>"I told you I use that toy Aniyah gave me," you blurted. "So you didn't have to worry about hurting me."</p><p>He hadn't moved yet. He was still buried in at the hilt, hovering over you, his arms trembling as he held up his own weight. "You're tight, you're so damn tight. I-I can't move. I need a second."</p><p>You were more turned on by his expression. He was hanging on by a thread. Having inside you was different than a toy. He was warm, hard, and so very much alive. You hadn't known that you were empty until he was inside of you, your walls squeezing around him, beckoning him in further.</p><p>"Wait, stop squirming!"</p><p>You gazed up at him. He was bewildered and overwhelmed.</p><p>You tried waiting for him. You really did. You reveled in the feeling of his warmth and weight. You wouldn't get off by him thrusting inside you, but you wanted that pressure. You wanted to lose yourself in his thrusts and watch his face wrench up in a mixture of agonizing pleasure and desire.</p><p>"Tetsurou—" In the midst of him begging you to stay still, you did the exact opposite. You shifted your hips and pushed your lower half down so he went inside you more. "Move." You clenched around him purposefully and bucked your hips.</p><p>He peered at you desperately from his bangs. "O-oh, oh god, oh fuck—!" Kuroo moaned out more expletives and your name in a mumbled mess.</p><p>You gasped. You felt a tickling pressure in your abdomen. It was subtle, but there were short pulses that felt almost electric. You looked directly into his eyes and saw he had frustrated tears brimming in them.</p><p>When the sensation stopped, you realized what you felt.</p><p>"Did you just...cum inside me?"</p><p>"I told you to stop," he whispered, his voice cracking.</p><p>He pulled out of you and you saw he was soft and coated in his own ejaculate. He used the back of his hand to rub at his eyes. You felt something warm and wet spill out of you and onto the bed, knowing full well that what it was.</p><p>"I guess we should've put a towel down," you lamented.</p><p>Kuroo got off the bed and went to the bathroom. You watched after him worriedly. When he returned, he had cleaned himself up. You were about to say something when you felt him take the lukewarm washcloth and start wiping you up.</p><p>"Thanks. I'm going to pee. I'll be right back."</p><p>Knowing his ego had been shattered left a sour taste in your mouth. You should've listened and not pushed him. And as guilty as you felt for thinking it, you really did wish that it wasn't so anticlimactic. He'd been in you for less than five minutes and he came. You barely got to do anything except lie there begging him to do something.</p><p>You flushed the toilet and washed your hands. You were still raring to go despite the end result. You wanted him back inside of you. There was no way he would be ready to go right away, he would need at least fifteen minutes to get turned on enough for a second round.</p><p>Kuroo sat on the edge of the bed. His shoulders were slumped.</p><p>You walked over to him and put your finger under his chin so he could look at you. "It's okay," you told him gently. "You don't have to be embarrassed, stuff like this happens all the time."</p><p>"I seriously thought I could last more than <em>that</em>," he responded dejectedly. "That was just sad. And I can't even do anything to get you off in the meantime, like eat you out, because it's everywhere. I mean unless I use my fingers. Is it weird if I do that to you and it's all inside?"</p><p>You laughed and bent down to plant a kiss on his mouth. "Tetsurou, it's fine. I'm serious. I'm actually like, really impressed that I managed to do that to you without even trying. I'm going to lord it over you the next time you tease me about something."</p><p>He sighed. "So much for our first time, huh? I screwed that up big time."</p><p>"You know first times are like, dumb anyway. I used a toy before we ever did it, so that was technically the first thing inside me. But it helped because then by the time we tried this, I wasn't uncomfortable or anything. People put way too much stock in this. It felt good for you, didn't it?"</p><p>"It was awesome," he confessed. "I've never felt anything that intense in my life. The fact that it was with you made it even better. I blanked out. You're dangerous, you know that?"</p><p>You giggled. "For the record, you felt good inside of me. It's so different from doing it to myself. And this isn't the last time we can ever have sex. No offense, but once you can get hard again, I'm sticking it back in."</p><p>You spent the next twenty minutes making out while you waited. Kuroo got frustrated that it was taking longer than usual. You figured it had to do with the fact that what happened was so intense. He eventually did start to get turned on and hard.</p><p>"I still wanna be on top." He was resolute in that decision. "I'll last longer this time and I want to do this right."</p><p>"That's fine with me.” You settled back into the bed. "Don't get too fixated on it. Just enjoy it. We're still learning."</p><p>Kuroo only missed the mark twice before he was able to push inside you himself. Once again, you were aghast with how much he filled you up. He wasn't huge by any means, but there was something so sexy and intimate about him fully inside you.</p><p>"This is much better." He gave an experimental roll of his hips. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I would cum in a heartbeat if I could. But I don't feel like I'm trying to hold back a dam."</p><p>Kuroo started to thrust inside you. You were self-conscious of the way your boobs were flopping everywhere, but he knocked your hand away when you tried to cover them up. He drank in the sight of you, belly and all.</p><p>"I love the way you look when you're taking my dick," he blurted. "It’s like you were made for me. You're so damn sexy, I can't believe you picked me."</p><p>You were both turned on and amused with his dirty talk. "What else do you like?"</p><p>He grinned down at you, sweat beading at his brow as he continued to pump in and out of you. His thighs clenched and he drove down so he could reach as deep inside you as you were okay with. "I love how soft you are, and I love how you sound when you moan my name. I love seeing your body bounce every time I push into you. I love how you look when my cum is spilling out of you. I was such an idiot for backing out that night when you begged me to take your virginity. It's bothered me ever since."</p><p>You beckoned him close and he leaned down so he could pull you into a kiss. His hips didn't stop moving. He was unaffected by the hard squelching sounds each time your bodies met together. He didn't even care the few times he lost rhythm. He just started up all over again and continued chipping away at your ability to keep a straight face.</p><p>"I wasn't ready back then and neither were you. I'm glad we waited."</p><p>He groaned against your mouth and buried his face in your neck. You wrapped your arms around his back and locked your legs around him. Kuroo's thrusts became shorter and sloppier, refusing to withdraw from you for even a second. He angled himself so he was pulling out just enough where he could drag his entire length across your walls before diving back in.</p><p>"Yes," you gasped, nails pricking his skin. "Don't stop."</p><p>"I want you to cum on my dick. Please, do it for me, <em>please</em>."</p><p>He pulled away from you so he could give you some room to reach down. Your middle finger hit your clit and you rubbed along with every thrust, your chest heaving. It didn't take long. Not with the sight of him pounding into you, or the pressure in your belly, or the memory of him releasing all at once and feeling it drip down your thighs. You found yourself squeezing hard around him and crying out his name as you came.</p><p>When the shocks that ran through your body were over, and you were limp, you gazed up at Kuroo. He was gritting his teeth.</p><p>"Why," he started, punctuating each word with a thrust. "Are." Thrust. "You." Thrust. "So fucking <em>hot</em>?" Thrust, thrust, thrust.</p><p>"Tetsurou," you gasped, knowing he was close. "Tetsurou!"</p><p>"I'm seriously in love with you," he moaned. You could see that telltale flush crawling from his neck to the tips of his ears. His eyes squeezed shut. His teeth snagged his lower lip. "I'm gonna cum. Oh, god, I'm gonna cum. Can I cum inside you again? Please!"</p><p>As if he even had to ask. "Yes!"</p><p>"I feel like I’m gonna melt, you’re so tight, <em>shit!</em>"</p><p>He thrust one more time and this time lingered inside of you. You squeezed your thighs and calves so he was forced all the way down inside you. Kuroo let out a dry sob as he spurted inside of you. You could feel that slight pressure and the warmth in the pit of your belly.</p><p>His cheek rested on your chest. He collapsed on top of you and tried so hard to keep his full weight off you. You moved your legs together and could tell that you were dripping and soaking the towel that you'd tucked underneath you this time. Kuroo groaned against your skin and refused to move.</p><p>You giggled.</p><p>"Hm?”</p><p>"When you came, you bit your lip, squeezed your eyes shut, and said you loved me. Told you so."</p><p>He didn't respond. You thought he was pouting until about a full minute passed. Your chest felt tighter. You realized his breathing had evened out.</p><p>"Hey! Get off me! I can't breathe!"</p><p>He mumbled something incoherent. You wiggled around.</p><p>"Tetsurou!"</p><p>After much effort, you shoved him off you. He rolled off to the side. He was blissed out. He tried to go for your chest so he could bury his face in them again. You stopped him with a pillow as a barrier. He took it and immediately shoved it on the side of his head.</p><p>"Sheesh...” You sat up and tried to step off the bed. You nearly fell down. Your legs were like jelly. "I'm gonna be really sore tomorrow."</p><p>After hobbling to the bathroom to clean yourself off and pee again, you returned to bed. Kuroo was awake and blearily looking for you. Once he saw you were on your way, he reached out and pulled you into bed with him.</p><p>You weren't as tired as he was. You glanced over at him and tried not to blush at the thought of what you'd just done.</p><p>"Give me like thirty minutes and we can go again," Kuroo mumbled into the pillow.</p><p>There was no way he could go another round. You laughed under your breath and crawled underneath the covers, reaching over to turn the lamp off. You would have to deal with the aftermath tomorrow.</p><p>People always emphasized that losing your virginity was supposed to be this grand event. You were supposed to feel different and more mature. Having sex was a big milestone, right? Wrong. You didn't feel any different at all. You were still the same person. Nothing changed you. You didn't suddenly feel sexier or have this glowy sex appeal that caused people's heads to turn. You were actually relieved that the hype was a bunch of bullshit. It took so much pressure off you knowing that sex wasn't the life-changing event everyone made it seem like. Yeah, it felt good, and yeah, it was nice to share that with someone. But that was it. It didn't make you any more or less of a person.</p><p>You woke up to find that he was still in bed. That was rare. He was always an early riser because he liked to get in a morning jog. You turned toward him and relished the feeling of the sheets and comforter against your bare skin. He had on a dreamy expression and it would’ve been cute if not for the giant puddle of drool his cheek was soaking in.</p><p>You sat up and winced at how raw and sensitive you felt between your legs. He wasn’t even that rough with you. You guessed that it was a lot more involved than you just doing it yourself. You gazed down at your thighs, still marred with the crescent-shaped indentations from his fingernails. You marveled at how much he seemed to enjoy them. He’d told you as much and last night it was apparent that despite your reservations about your body, he was more than willing to tell you how attracted to you he was.</p><p>Before you could even get off the bed, you felt Kuroo’s hand grab your arm. He was still half-asleep when he gazed at you.</p><p>“Hey, where’re you goin’?”</p><p>“To the bathroom. I want to shower.”</p><p>He rubbed at his eye with the heel of his hand and got out of bed. You watched him stride across the room, his body littered with the marks you left on him without even realizing it. He disappeared inside the bathroom. You thought for sure he was just trying to empty his bladder before you hogged the room.</p><p>After few minutes, Kuroo returned. “I ran the bath for you,” he mumbled. “I’m gonna go back to sleep. Wait, do you need help to the bathroom?”</p><p>“No…I’m okay.” You got to your feet and hid your discomfort. “Thank you.”</p><p>He didn’t say anything else because he crashed out. You slipped inside the bathroom and saw that there was a full bath waiting for you. The water was the temperature you needed – nice and warm, filled with soapy bubbles and a light floral fragrance. You slipped inside and let out a long sigh of relief. The consistency was silky and a much-needed balm to your aching body.</p><p>You refilled the tub once more before Kuroo roused from his sleep for good. He peeked into the bathroom and was surprised to see you still there. He was already fully dressed and it seemed like he was wondering where you went off to.</p><p>“Hey, you okay? Want me to get you out?”</p><p>“Not really.” You were thankful that the tub was deep enough where the water covered…most of your body. You buried what didn’t fit in a mountain of bubbles. “I think I’m going to stay here all day.”</p><p>He shook his head with a laugh and plopped down on the edge of the tub. “Is this a test to see if I’ll still be into you when you’re old and wrinkly?”</p><p>“Maybe.” You lifted a hand and blew a puff of bubbles at him. “Is anyone snooping around for us yet?”</p><p>“Nope, but I doubt that’ll last. Which is why you should get out.” He extended a hand to you. “Besides, I made us breakfast.”</p><p>You suddenly feared for your life. “Oh…well…you know, I’m not that hungry—”</p><p>Your stomach growled. Betrayal! You shot him a sheepish grin.</p><p>“Aw, come on. This time I followed a recipe. Promise you’ll live.”</p><p>“But will my tastebuds?”</p><p>You sat up and grabbed his hand. His grip was firm despite how wet and slippery you were. He kept you steady as you finally emerged into the chilled air. He wasted no time in grabbing you a towel so you could wrap yourself up tight.</p><p>As you sat down at the table and started with your breakfast, someone knocked on the door. It was already unlocked for the day and they wasted no time filing in.</p><p>“Good morning!” Kaori chirped. “How did you guys sleep? Was everything alright? Yukie and I got creeped out being by ourselves and we ended up making Minoru hang out in the living room just in case. Then Bokuto got lonely and he dragged Akaashi and Yaku with him.”</p><p>“What about Kenma?”</p><p>“He said he was planning to stream all night for charity. He said not to tell Kuroo – oops!” Kaori clamped a hand over her mouth. “You didn’t hear it from me!”</p><p>Kuroo chuckled evilly. “Oh, he’s in big, big trouble.”</p><p>“You forgot to tell them <em>my</em> news.”</p><p>“Oooh, I forgot! Yukie got her kiss!” Kaori bounced up and down excitedly. “It was so cute! It was one of the guys from the team. What was his name?”</p><p>Yukie shrugged. “No clue. It wasn’t that great. He tasted like stale smoke.”</p><p>While the rest of your friends made their way to your cottage, Kuroo reached underneath the table and squeezed your hand. You returned the gesture with a knowing smile.</p>
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<a name="section0036"><h2>36. Paradigm Shift</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Your second year at university promises to be eventful. But you and Kuroo are experts at juggling school, work and your personal lives. Right?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Have a song that you feel relates to this fic/the characters? Add it to the <b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0hKpVyaFT61dcNNSRePfFo?si=fd508805ebde4af5">new collaborative playlist</a></b>!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Knowing Kuroo for a decade now, it was easy to discern his moods. Even if he didn’t say anything, his facial expressions, body language and reassurances were always tinged with big clues as to how he really felt.</p><p>Right now, Kuroo was nervous as hell. He could play it off with a giant grin, but looking a little closer, you could see it was halfhearted and shaky. He used humor to deflect any kind of vulnerability because he was so used to putting on this aura of confidence around the people who looked up to him. He was the type who cared for others and never wanted to show his weaknesses. He couldn’t hide them from you.</p><p>“Are you okay?” you asked worriedly, already knowing the answer. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. We can just run off.”</p><p>He gazed down at you. Although his tone was teasing, he was clearly thinking about your words. “And leave everyone hanging? No way.”</p><p>You reached up and straightened the collar of his crisp white shirt, adorned with a soft pink tie to match your dress. He had no qualms about putting it on when you suggested it. His jacket coat was freshly laundered and free of any wrinkles, lint or imperfections. His dress pants were tapered and tailored to his body and accentuated his lean, muscular form. You considered yourself a lucky girl to be walking by his side.</p><p>“I promise I won’t get whisked away by anyone and leave you by yourself.” You reached up and cupped his face in your hands. “You look super hot, by the way. Ten outta ten, would bang.”</p><p>That brought a lopsided grin to his face. “I’ll hold you to that.”</p><p>After the two of you took some deep breaths, Kuroo took your hand. You stepped outside of the room, past the glittering bulbs and garlands that lined the hallways, and made your way to the gazebo right out front.</p><p>The turnout was much more than you ever expected. You were surrounded by unfamiliar faces. Kuroo continued to keep his back straight and head held high. You weren’t surprised when you saw quite a few girls turn his way and look him over. You would do the same if you were in their shoes. Although slightly envious of the attention he was getting, you concentrated on your laced fingers and reminded yourself that he chose you.</p><p>The venue was beautiful in its simplicity. Rows of pristine white chairs were arranged neatly with placement cards for each member of both families. The area near the front, where the officiant stood with a twinkle in her eyes, was adorned by a plethora of native flowers woven around the high archway. The pathway was lined with various shells collected from the nearby beach.</p><p>The weather was humid, but temperate enough that everyone could still stand around in their formal attire without sweating buckets. You gazed around at the sea of bodies dressed in colors across the spectrum. It seemed fitting given the occasion.</p><p>You and Kuroo walked down the aisle together. You could feel the telltale heat of embarrassment creep along your cheeks and the back of your neck. Social anxiety! A constant source of discomfort and your faithful companion. You resisted the urge to let it show on your face, not wanting to ruin the otherwise magical atmosphere.</p><p>In that moment, you were overwhelmed with joy and had to bite your lip from crying.</p><p>“Here’s your seat!” A little girl called out from in front of you. She’d seen you right away when you approached the crowd and excitedly asked you to follow her. Her gorgeous hair had been pulled back into twin puffs on her head, wrapped lovingly with ribbons and a star-shaped hairclip. Her baby hairs were neatly pressed to her skin and formed the cute little swirls on her dark skin. “You better tell Auntie ‘Niyah that I helped! She said she’d let me wear her tiara!”</p><p>You stifled a laugh. “Don’t worry, Deja. I’ll make sure you’re the first one to try it on.”</p><p>She pumped her small fist and bounded off with the basket full of flowers.</p><p>Kuroo watched her go in confusion. “What’d she say?”</p><p>“Basically that she was promised something if she proved useful during the wedding,” you translated loosely. “Isn’t she adorable? She’s grown so much over the past couple of years! I’m surprised she even remembers me.”</p><p>He chuckled. “I keep telling you, kids love you.”</p><p>“I have no clue why. I’ve got resting bitch face and I always feel so awkward around them.”</p><p>You settled comfortably into your seat and Kuroo did the same. He spent the last few months brushing up on his English just so he wouldn’t feel so lost here. You were extremely happy that he’d done so, even if it meant more work on top of his schoolwork and activities. He could keep up pretty well with conversations, though the rapid-fire sentences could throw him for a loop sometimes. You already told everyone you could to try and slow down when they were talking to him so he could process their words.</p><p>As the ceremony’s start neared, you were aghast with how Devon looked. It was the best dressed and formal you’d ever seen him. You thought for sure he would somehow be ready to get married in a cutoff shirt and jeans. His unruly hair had been freshly cut so it was entirely out of his eyes. His tattoos were covered with the long sleeves of his white tuxedo. He couldn’t stop grinning as various people walked up and spoke to him, including his best man Jun.</p><p>“So that’s Jun, huh? The guy you swapped spit with on your first and last date?”</p><p>“Shh,” you laughed, pushing Kuroo’s shoulder. “Don’t even start. You better not give him a hard time about it!”</p><p>“Oh, I definitely will. I want to find out if you used tongue.”</p><p>You quieted down as soon as the music started. Aniyah was at the end of the makeshift aisle and she was glowing. Her entire face was alight with excitement, reverie for her soon-to-be husband, and sheer joy at the entire décor she spent months planning. You knew from your late-night talks and constant texts that this was exactly what she’d envisioned, and you were happy to have helped even a little.</p><p>Aniyah had been adamant about having her favorite designer create a dress just for her. It showed. She chose a blush ballroom gown adorned with several floral appliques along the tule skirt. Her bare leg was visible through a cheeky slit in the middle, hidden away with a thin layer of fabric. The top accentuated her figure with a sweetheart neckline embellished with sparkling crystals.</p><p>To say the wedding was beautiful was an understatement. Between the overflowing support from their families and the starstruck looks they shared with each other, you found yourself enraptured. It wasn’t as strict as you thought it would be. The guests often shouted things to tease the two or whooped/whistled when Aniyah turned to flash a smile. At one point one of Devon’s friends from the crowd shouted he won the bet by saying he knew the groom would cry. He totally did.</p><p>“The couple would like to exchange personal vows!” the officiant bellowed. “Y’all ready? You don’t get no do-overs and the cameras are rollin’.”</p><p>Devon took a folded piece of paper out of his lapel, looked over it, and showed it to the crowd. “I knew I forgot something,” he grinned sheepishly. “It’s fine, it’s all up here.”</p><p>He took Aniyah’s hands in his and you couldn’t stop yourself from smiling so hard your cheeks started to hurt.</p><p>“When I was a kid, I never dared to dream I would end up getting married to the love of my life. I thought for sure I would be have to pretend to be happy…and then I met you. You convinced me that I was worthy of love. I knew the first time we kissed that you were the one I was going to spend my life with. Aniyah, you’re everything to me. You push me to be a better man for you and there’s no doubt you’re my better half. I’ve got the rest of my life to give back all the love you showed me growing up.”</p><p>You’d never heard anything so heartfelt from him before.</p><p>Aniyah was holding back tears. “Dev, I am so blessed to have you in my life. I can’t imagine a future without you by my side. You taught me patience and showed me that even though love isn’t always easy, it’s worth it when you find the right person. My family says we’re long overdue and I couldn’t agree more. I love you from the bottom of my heart and I can’t wait for our life together to start.”</p><p>“Then let’s make it official! It's what we're here for!” The officiant declared, earning a sea of laughter from the crowd.</p><p>Lights flashed from all around as Devon and Aniyah went in for their kiss. There were catcalls from the crowd, encouragement for him to slip in some tongue, and exclamations as she kissed him so hard that he pretended to fall to his knees. Devon wrapped his arms around her thighs as she begged him to stand up so they could get a decent picture.</p><p>You and Kuroo watched as the two rushed down the aisle together for a moment of privacy. She had a different dress for the reception. You stood up from your seat and stared after them, trying to commit all the details to memory.</p><p>“That was really something,” Kuroo muttered under his breath. “It’s kind of embarrassing hearing that stuff in public.”</p><p>“You know how it is. In America it’s encouraged.” You shot him a smile. “I’m glad she let me sit with you in the crowd. Some of her other bridesmaids were, um, a lot.”</p><p>As you continued to chat, you followed the crowd to the reception hall.</p><p>Aniyah’s parents oversaw the food and they ended up with an enormous buffet. You could smell the meat sizzling on the barbecue grill, slathered in marinade recipe that had been passed down by her great-grandfather. You were happy to grab a plate and patrol the long tables with Kuroo. You decided to mess with him and dumped a pile of fried okra onto his plate without telling him what it was. You knew for a fact he never had it before and you were looking forward to seeing his reaction.</p><p>You neared the end of the table and you heard your name. You turned and were nearly pummeled over with a bear hug from two men you hadn’t seen in a long time.</p><p>“Oh, honey, you look beautiful!” Paolo cried. “Look at her, Marq! She’s all grown up!”</p><p>“It’s so nice to see you.” Marques pulled back with a broad smile. “And this must be Tetsurou. We’ve heard so much about you.”</p><p>“Nice to meet you,” Kuroo answered confidently. “Thank you both for taking care of her when she was overseas.”</p><p>“Sweetie, don’t mention it! It was a pleasure. Gosh, don’t you two look perfect together. How are things at school?”</p><p>“Everything’s great! We just finished out our first year and we’re on kind of a break right now. You were so relieved Aniyah planned the wedding this week. Tetsurou and I are actually planning to stay for a couple of days before going back to Japan.”</p><p>“Lovely.” Paolo beamed at you, an arm snaked around his husband’s. “We should at least have a dinner together before you go. Hawai’i is so much fun and you don’t want to miss out on a romantic getaway before school starts back up. Oh! Oaklynn! Look!”</p><p>Oaklynn had her hair tied in a neat ponytail. She was accompanied by a guy who was probably as tan as he could get before the doctors staged an intervention for melanoma.</p><p>“God, I didn’t even recognize you!” She showed you a smile full of fresh veneers. “I love your dress. You two are so cute wearing matching colors. This is Charlie, he’s my sponsor. Anyway, I’m going to grab something to eat.”</p><p>Paolo shot her a look before she wandered off. “Oaklynn…”</p><p>“Don’t worry, Daddy! I’ll be fine!”</p><p>Marques chuckled. “She’s, uh, about three months sober right now and it <em>is</em> an open bar. She’s been pretty good at keeping her nose clean since she got on probation for that DUI. We still have to keep an eye on her, though. You know how it is…addicts are in recovery for the rest of their lives.”</p><p>You didn’t get much of a chance to chat anymore, considering more relatives of the bride and groom spotted the couple and butted in. You didn’t mind so much. You and Kuroo found an empty table and decided to start eating.</p><p>“Ugh, what the hell is this?” Kuroo pulled the fried okra out of his mouth and nearly gagged when he saw the long strand of slime stretch out.</p><p>“Now you know how it feels when you ask if I’ll swallow.” You sipped at your drink.</p><p>He laughed and then coughed into his napkin. “Dammit, I just snorted it in!” He took a long gulp of water. “Hey, that girl over there kinda looks like you.”</p><p>You searched the crowd. “Where?”</p><p>You barely had a chance to hear his response because that girl walked your way. You froze in your seat when you realized who she was with.</p><p>“Hey,” Jun smiled at you gently. “I heard you came. I’ve been dying to see you all day.”</p><p>You stood up and drew him into a hug. You kept in touch since you left, and he’d changed so much since you got to know him. He returned the gesture and you stood for a few seconds relishing the bittersweet reunion.</p><p>Jun pulled back and introduced you to the woman by his side. “And it’s Kuroo, right?” He extended a hand. “It’s good to meet you.”</p><p>Kuroo gripped his hand firmly and they shook hands. You were a little embarrassed with how much you were staring at Jun’s girlfriend. Everyone said she looked like you, but she was far more put together. She had this sweet, airy personality to her that was the perfect match for him.</p><p>“I wanted to tell you in person, but we’re pregnant,” Jun wrapped an arm around her waist.</p><p>You were floored. “You are? Wow, I can’t even tell! Wait, how far along are you?”</p><p>She rested her hand on her belly. “About four months. Here, you can feel them kicking right now. They’ve been at it all day.”</p><p>You placed your palm on the slight swell of her stomach. She was right. It was eerie knowing that she and Jun would be parents within a few months.</p><p>“Aren’t you excited?”</p><p>“Ecstatic,” Jun corrected you. “We both agreed we wanted to start a family together someday. It just…kind of happened sooner rather than later. But don't get me wrong, we both want this, as unexpected as it was. I’m in the process of getting my degree right now since I want to teach music. I’m doing night classes and working in the shop during the day. We started saving up so we can put a down payment on a house outside the city.”</p><p>You were happy for him. He’d told you all that time ago how badly he wanted to be in love. He was desperate for anyone to fill that void. Not only was he more confident in himself and his relationship, but she was clearly a grounding force for him. They were going to be a family. And while they were still fairly young, you knew that no matter what the future held, Jun would always be there for his child.</p><p>Kuroo and Jun chatted together as the latter had been studying Japanese relentlessly since you met. You tried to concentrate on their conversation, but it was a little difficult. You kept firing questions at his girlfriend about the pregnancy so far. She said she and Jun didn’t have plans to get engaged yet; they wanted to settle down first before worrying about it. She was sweet on him and it showed.</p><p>They sat at your table. You continued to eat and listen to his girlfriend’s stories. You kept sneaking glances at Kuroo to see if he was okay. He didn’t look bothered too much by Jun even knowing that there were some serious sparks between you when you went to school overseas.</p><p>Aniyah and Devon made their debut. The rest of the night went in a blur. You were able to speak with them briefly before they had to make their rounds. You and Kuroo were dragged up to the dancefloor on more than one occasion. You didn’t feel overwhelmed or like you wanted to shrink in the corner because this was such a special night.</p><p>“Don’t you want to try and catch the bouquet?” Kuroo gestured to the giant group of girls who looked like they were on the hunt.</p><p>“Mm, not really. I want to avoid a hospital trip tonight.”</p><p>The flowers flew up in the air and someone you didn’t recognize snatched it up. She held it high above her head so none of the other girls could steal it from her.</p><p>“Wait, what is he doing?”</p><p>“He’s going to toss her garter.” You giggled. “Oh, man. I think he’s trying to dance. He’s so <em>bad,</em> Tetsurou, don’t look!”</p><p>“I can’t stop. He’s buried underneath her dress and he grabbed it with his teeth. That’s the coolest tradition I’ve ever seen. Imagine what my grandpa would do.”</p><p>You turned to glance at his profile. “I didn’t even think you wanted to get married,” you blurted.</p><p>Kuroo almost seemed offended at your comment. “Why wouldn’t I?”</p><p>“I don’t know, it’s a formality more than anything. And we’ve been together forever as it stands. It’s not like a ring and marriage license would change that.”</p><p>Kuroo stared across the room with a faraway look in his eyes. “Some people don’t need marriage and that’s fine. But I <em>do</em> want that, and not just for the legal perks, either. We don’t need a big ceremony like this. Hell, if you wanted to elope or just have a witness at the courthouse, I wouldn’t mind that either. For me it’s like…I dunno, I get to be yours, and we’ll be a family. Kuroo is a better last name for you, anyway.”</p><p>You could feel your heart pounding. “You think I’m going to take your last name? That’ll be so weird. Our friends will be like, ‘Kuroo?’ and we’ll both look over at them.”</p><p>“Oh, well.” He grinned down at you. “It doesn’t have to be anytime soon, and we can talk about it more later. I just want you to know how I feel about it. Being here and seeing this whole thing just kind of set it in stone. I want to be your husband someday.”</p><p>You didn’t leave the venue until nearly two in the morning. You took off your heels because your feet were aching. Thankfully, the path toward your hotel room was blanketed by a soft carpet of lush grass.</p><p>“Can you unzip my dress?”</p><p>“Yeah, one sec. Let me make sure the door’s locked.” Kuroo flipped the extra one on top over so you had additional privacy. “Let’s see...”</p><p>He fumbled with the zipper before dragging it down. He was so close to your neck that you could feel his breath send the hairs prickling. You went to move away but he looped his thumbs underneath the straps and pulled it down. You giggled as his lips found the junction between your neck and ear, placing a warm kiss there before he pulled away.</p><p>“Weddings get you riled up, huh? Or was it Jun’s pregnant girlfriend?” you teased, stepping out of your dress. “The scandal.”</p><p>Kuroo smirked at you and pulled his tie apart, letting it hang loosely from his shoulders. He knew what he was doing. Whenever you saw him unravel it from his work uniform, that usually meant that you’d be leaving trails of clothes down the hallway into your room.</p><p>“Speaking of Jun, don’t you think he looks a little bit like Bokuto? Like…a dark or evil version?”</p><p>“What?” you sputtered. “No! Definitely not!”</p><p>He unbuttoned his shirt, still laughing. “I know he’s not actively pursuing you, but I really think Jun has a shrine of you in his basement or something. He probably sings songs with lyrics like, ‘In another life, you would be mine’.”</p><p>“Wow, you should win a Grammy for that performance alone.” Now clad only in your bra and panties, you tossed your outfit toward the open suitcase. “But seriously, what did you guys talk about?”</p><p>“He told me that if I ever made you cry or we broke up, he would kill me,” Kuroo joked. “Nah, he just said that he was happy the two of us made up and that things were going so well. He asked me what I was planning to do after college and I didn’t really have an answer for him. I also <em>did</em> ask him if you slipped him the tongue during that kiss you guys shared.”</p><p>You gaped at him. “Are you joking?”</p><p>“Is this the face of a man who would lie to his drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend?” He pointed at his flat expression. “He said you didn’t, by the way, but that you started crying about your ex-boyfriend like right afterwards. Major mood killer.”</p><p>You huffed and strode to the bathroom. “He’s dead to me!”</p><p>You started the water in the sink so you could start scrubbing off all the makeup you had on your face. You didn’t even get to brush your hand underneath the faucet before Kuroo cradled you from behind. His hands trailed down your stomach and he pulled you flush against his body. He was hard.</p><p>“I was making fun of you about being turned on by weddings and pregnancy, but is there a kink we have to talk about?” You arched into his hand when he cupped your breast. “Hey…”</p><p>“I’ve been eyeing you in that dress all night. Not to mention you’re wearing a matching set of bra and underwear. You brought this on yourself.”</p><p>You sighed and allowed him to turn you around. Kuroo put his hands on your hips and encouraged you to jump up on the large countertop of the bathroom sink. The polished marble was cold against your thighs.</p><p>He dropped down to his knees and spread your legs apart. “Besides, you’re one to talk. You’re into this just as much as I am.” He leaned forward and licked a stripe against the damp spot of your panties.</p><p>“Shut up and eat me out, Tetsurou.”</p><p>He did.</p><p>After Kuroo had his fill of you (which took about an hour between the foreplay and the main event), you settled into the king-sized bed together. He complained about how big it was; last night he woke up in the middle of the night and realized he couldn’t feel where you were when he reached back. He actually had to flip around and scooch closer to you so he could get back to sleep.</p><p>You scrolled through pictures of the wedding on your phone, all of which had already been uploaded to the couple’s new social media accounts. “Paolo texted me and told me where we could meet up for lunch. And then Aniyah just asked if we could do dinner with her, Dev and Jun. I guess we’re going to be busy for the next few days.”</p><p>Kuroo scratched at his bare chest, which was still smeared with lipstick from earlier. “Yeah, and when we get back, we’ve got invites to Bokuto’s first game.”</p><p>“Oooh, I forgot! I’m so excited. I know he’s been dying to show off. Yakkun’s is the week after, we really lucked out. If we had both on the same day, I don’t know what we would do. Koutarou would cry if I wasn’t there, and Yakkun would say it was fine but then give me attitude for like the rest of the month.”</p><p>He reached over to run a hand through your hair. “Probably. It’s hard to believe Kenma’s first semester at uni starts soon. A full-time, online only student. It sounds crazy, but if anyone could pull it off, he could.”</p><p>“For sure. He’s like a prodigy. He already juggled so much during his senior year and he managed to graduate with ridiculously high marks. Honestly, I think he’s just happy that he doesn’t have to play sports anymore.” You giggled. “Hey, what do you think of Yukie’s plans?”</p><p>He chuckled. “A nutritionist? I mean, yeah. She’s always been the biggest glutton. If anyone wanted a career surrounded by food, it’d be her.”</p><p>“Kaori’s still undecided, though. And Keiji…we won’t talk about him. He decided to go to Waseda instead of hanging out with us cool kids at Keio. Like, of all the schools he could pick! He went with our rival. I don’t even care much about school spirit, but I still feel betrayed.”</p><p>“Don’t let Minoru hear you say that. He’d make you guys meet up at his dojo to hug it out.”</p><p>You rolled your eyes. “There’s no way I would even get through the door. Ever since he did that interview on TV, his place has been packed with high school girls taking his classes to ogle him. And if they saw us talking, they would probably try to use their new skills to get rid of me.”</p><p>Kuroo leaned over to kiss you. You accepted it without question.</p><p>When he pulled away, you snuck a glance at him. “What was that for?”</p><p>“Nothin’, really. You just looked cute.” He rolled over onto his stomach to prepare himself for a good night’s sleep. That meant two of the pillows were already smushed on either side of his head. “Seems like everyone has a plan except me.”</p><p>Your chest tightened. You knew that it really bothered Kuroo that he wasn’t sure what kind of career he wanted to pursue. An entire year passed and still the answer eluded him. He was desperate for direction. He wasn’t used to this. He was a self-assured, confident guy who always had a game plan and the talent to back it up. He was frustrated with not finding that calling. It felt like it was just out of reach for him, and it killed you to know that it bothered him so much.</p><p>The rest of your trip went smoothly. Paolo was still over the top and Marques kept him grounded. You weren’t surprised when Paolo asked Kuroo if he ever thought of doing some modeling. He and Marques talked about sports since they were both athletes. You only had to jump in a few times to help keep the conversation lucid.</p><p>You didn’t get another chance to see Oaklynn. She was an influencer now, so her entire day was spent showing off her extravagant lifestyle and putting on a fake, perfect persona for her audience. There was no way you would willingly be in one of her vlogs so her fanbase could rip you to shreds over your appearance.</p><p>Spending time with the trio of old friends was a lot of fun. Aniyah and Devon were relaxed and happy. You pretended not to notice all the times they kept exchanging heated looks across the table. Jun bought a ukulele, because of course he did, and ended up strumming a little tune so he could sing to his girlfriend’s belly. She laughed the entire time with his goofy lyrics.</p><p>The flight back home to Japan spanned about eight hours. Even if traveling for that long was uncomfortable, Kuroo always made sure you were comfortable. You got seats with extra legroom so Kuroo wasn’t squished between rows of seats. You didn’t have any shame in curling up against him or placing a pillow in his lap so you could snooze.</p><p>With the magic of the wedding over, you settled back into your routine of work and school.</p><p>“I just realized we only have two classes together this semester.” Kuroo ran through your schedules, balancing his pencil on the space between his nose and upper lip. “That sucks.”</p><p>“Yeah, remember we blanked out on signing up for classes and mine was at max capacity before you had a chance to request it.” You continued packing your lunch. “Plus, my last class doesn’t end until like an hour after yours.”</p><p>“I can hang around campus until you’re done.”</p><p>“You could…if you didn’t change your availability at the shop since newbie quit.” You poked the tip of his nose and were impressed that the pencil didn’t even wobble. “You said you’d pick up earlier shifts so you could help out during the after-work rush.”</p><p>“Shit, I did do that,” he mumbled. “So I can’t walk you to work?”</p><p>“No, but that’s okay.”</p><p>He didn’t seem convinced, but Kuroo understood that you both led separate lives despite being in a relationship. He didn’t want to smother you and you felt the same. You had different interests and hobbies. Some days he would hog the TV to watch games or prank shows. You would be on YouTube with your headphones in, going through recommended videos and falling deeper down the rabbit hole. You would read books on the balcony and he would be on his laptop, surfing through real estate sites and pretending you could afford to move into a million-dollar house.</p><p>“Hey, have you thought about coaching? You know the game in and out, plus it would be a way to be involved in volleyball without playing.”</p><p>Kuroo shook his head as he packed his bag for school tomorrow. “Not for me. Being a captain was great but being responsible for training the entire team from scratch…it’s a lot of work. I can’t see myself working in a school. Pro teams would need someone with way more experience. Plus, they’d travel a lot, and I’m not trying to be away from you all the time. I want something stable.”</p><p>You were touched that he saw it that way. “You don’t have to worry about something like that. I’d be willing to find a job that would let me move around with you. Or we can always just date long-distance and we give phone sex another try.”</p><p>He scoffed. “It’s nothing like the real thing, trust me. Besides, I want to try and stay in Tokyo. It’s where we grew up. Lots of good memories here.”</p><p>You couldn’t fault him on that. “Okay, well, I’ll keep brainstorming, then. What about a referee? You could totally crush people’s dreams by throwing out fouls and technicalities left and right.”</p><p>“What kind of guy do you think I am?”</p><p>“You tell me, provocation expert.” You stood up from the table so you could head to your room and fold some clothes. “What about a newscaster?” You called from the hallway, unbothered by the echo. “You could spend your whole day watching games and get paid for it. You think quick on your feet!”</p><p>“You want me to end up like Minoru? With tons of fangirls knocking down my door, sending me love letters while you’re all jealous and pouty?”</p><p>“You’re right, you’d probably get yourself a hot assistant and drop me like a bad habit.” He hated when you said stuff like that. You heard him stand up so he could chase after you. You tensed when you heard his rapid footsteps against the carpet. “Wait! Tetsurou, I was joking!”</p><p>Needless to say, the laundry still sat in the basket by the end of the night.</p><p>Even though you did love having classes with Kuroo, being by yourself wasn’t so bad. You were better able to concentrate, that was for sure. You still had lunch together. After your last class of the day, it was a little lonely gathering your things and making the trek home by yourself. You kept your head held high and got ready for work knowing that the end of your shift meant you could get back to spending time together. Private moments together would no doubt be more meaningful from now on.</p><p>“HRAAGH!”</p><p>“Nice kill, Bokuto!”</p><p>You watched in admiration as Bokuto pumped his fist with a cheer. Seeing his bright smile as he played volleyball was something else. You found it inspiring to see someone who found their passion in life. Your seats in the stands were damn good, a courtesy from Bokuto himself. He invited all of you to watch his game. You knew part of it was because he craved attention and praise. You were more than happy to give him what he wanted, especially because he worked so hard to get here.</p><p>Every single serve of that volleyball drew your attention in and Kuroo felt the same way. He zeroed in on the plays and muttered under his breath as he evaluated each of the players on the court. To the untrained eye it would seem they were powerhouses with no faults. Kuroo knew better. Even playing professionally they still had things to work on.</p><p>“Hey, Bokuto’s really grown up. He isn’t looking over here every half an hour and waving at you.”</p><p>You elbowed Kuroo. “You don’t have to be jealous, Koutarou was never on my radar.”</p><p>“Uh huh.” He crossed his arms and leaned on you with a significant amount of his weight. “Tell that to the alternate universe where you end up falling for him when I was being an asshole.”</p><p>“You might not seem like it, but you’re just as needy as he is.” You shot him a lascivious look and snaked your arm behind him.</p><p>He jumped and nearly fell into the row ahead of you. “Did you seriously just grab my ass?!”</p><p>“You do it all the time, don’t even start!”</p><p>Although the game itself was exciting, there was someone in the crowd who caught your eye. Not because you found him attractive, but because of how much he stuck out. The people in the stands were wearing casual clothing so they were comfortable in cheering for their favorite team. The man you zeroed in on was in a full three-piece suit. He was dressed like he was here on business. His dark hair had been swept back out of his eyes and the orange-tinted glasses seemed to cut through the room. He had his arms folded and the expression on his face was cold and flat. He had an earpiece on and muttered to himself. You tried to find a pattern in when he spoke, but he only did so when the court was at a lull.</p><p>You tried to ignore him for the remainder of the game. Bokuto was ecstatic when his team won. You managed to stifle the giant, obnoxious smile from your face when you spotted him cheering with his teammates below. You were thrown back to the time where he entered the training camp and was ostracized from the other players because of his attitude. He had grown up so much.</p><p>You and Kuroo went down to meet with Bokuto to give him your congratulations. As you started down the bleachers, you spotted that same guy walk over to the opposing team. He was cool and collected, gesturing minimally, and he kept his unapproachable aura the entire time he spoke to the coaches.</p><p>“Kou, who is that?” You tugged on Bokuto’s arm.</p><p>“Huh? Who?” Bokuto peered across the court. You gave a detailed description of the guy and his amber eyes instantly settled down on him. “Oh, that’s someone from the League! I didn’t know they were here.”</p><p>“Hmm…” You wondered what kind of position he held. He looked far too formal to be someone who managed or coached a team. Definitely not sneaking a view at a team he was involved with in some way. The topic of discussion was serious enough that everyone who he spoke to was giving him their rapt attention.</p><p>You didn’t have much time to linger on the mysterious man. Bokuto was about to leave with his team to celebrate and he invited you to go with him. Though not exactly your style, those puppy-dog eyes of his were his secret weapon. You caved and Kuroo followed suit. You ended up heading out so the older members of the team could grab a few drinks and bond together. You and Kuroo sat at a separate table where Bokuto visited you intermittently through the night.</p><p>Over the next few weeks, you settled into your new schedules. You didn’t get to see Kuroo much during the day. You would occasionally meet up for lunch on campus, but work and classes kept you away from each other more than you would’ve liked. Was it lonely? Sure. You were used to having him around and no matter how much time you spent together, you never got bored.</p><p>You came home one night and Kuroo almost pounced on you the moment you walked through the door.</p><p>“Hey,” he greeted you, trying to act casual. It was clear he was excited about something. You would recognize that spark in his eyes anywhere. “Guess what? Okabe told me that he heard they’re going to be opening up interviews for internships at JVA.”</p><p>Your jaw almost hit the floor. “Really?! That’s awesome! Oh my god! You’re going to apply, right?”</p><p>“Hell yeah I am!” He couldn’t contain that grin. “I was wondering if you could help me fix up my resume. I don’t have much work experience aside from the café, so I was hoping that with your sexy writer-brain you could make me sound like the perfect match.”</p><p>You snorted with laughter and dropped your bag near the front door. “You don’t need a lot of fluff from me. Your boss loves you and it’s clear he would be happy to be used as a reference so he could talk about your work ethic. Remember? When you first started, you couldn’t even set foot in the kitchen without causing some kind of small fire. Now you’re allowed to help him with baking a bunch of products.”</p><p>Kuroo shrugged, drawing up from the couch so he could take your coat off you. “I’ve been working there awhile; it was bound to happen. You mind if we start after dinner? I want to submit my application in as soon as possible. Okabe said that he was giving me insider info and that once it was public, there would be an insane amount of competition to wade through. I don’t want to get overlooked.”</p><p>“You got it.” You placed your palms on his chest. Knowing that was his cue, he bent down to minimize the distance between you. You craned your neck to plant a warm kiss on his lips. He returned it with gusto.</p><p>After being in a rut for so long, not knowing what he wanted career-wise, you promised yourself you would do everything in your power to make sure that Kuroo’s dreams came to fruition. It was the least you could do for all of the years he spent supporting you and your decisions. You spent hours researching the best ways to compile his education and work history. He brushed up on history of the league just in case they decided to grill him on it.</p><p>“Mister…Kuroo, is it?” you joked, settling down at the dining room table. He asked for a practice interview and even though you felt silly pretending to be a prospective boss, he was serious about it. “Have a seat. I’ve looked through your resume. Explain why you believe you would be a good fit for the position.”</p><p>Kuroo was always quick-witted and able to think on his feet. You knew that whatever you asked, he would have a genuinely great answer. He took your little session seriously despite how you kept trying to hold back your giggles. You couldn’t keep a straight face around him, especially because you were both wearing formal outfits to set the stage.</p><p>“I have years of experience playing volleyball and I was captain of my team in my third year in high school. I know the ins and outs of the sport and it’s my sole passion in life. In academics I graduated at the top of my class and my current grades are in great standing. I’m used to multitasking and despite balancing my schoolwork and extracurriculars, I excelled in both.”</p><p>Even though this was all fake, you couldn’t help but be moved by his words. He was confident in himself. This was the Kuroo you knew. He pushed through his insecurities and shone brightest when he was under pressure.</p><p>You ran through several more questions and he answered them all perfectly.</p><p>“Where do you see yourself in five years?”</p><p>You knew the question was a difficult one for him. Kuroo seemed a little surprised that you went for it, but he understood why you had to.</p><p>“I see myself employed by JVA full-time. I may not know what position fits me best since I don’t have experience working within this industry. But what I <em>do </em>know is that this internship would be a gateway into a lifelong career with you. Volleyball is and will always be a huge part of my life and I want to bring the joy of the sport to everyone. I truly believe that this internship would be the building blocks in creating a well-rounded employee that would only benefit JVA in the long run.”</p><p>You smiled at him softly.</p><p>He noticed your expression and smirked. “Ma’am?”</p><p>“Hmm…I like your spunk, Mr. Kuroo.” You stood up from your seat. “That will be all. We have several other candidates to interview for the position. Unless…”</p><p>He gave you an odd look. “Unless…?”</p><p>“Unless you want to fast-track your review by telling me more about yourself…in private.” You sat down on the edge of the table and purposefully let your skirt ride higher against your thighs. “I wouldn’t mind a little one-on-one session so I can get an <em>intimate</em> look at your history.”</p><p>“You’re seriously doing this?” he sputtered. “Is this for real or are you messing with me?”</p><p>“Keep in character,” you whispered sharply.</p><p>“Uh…sorry, ma’am. No can do. I’ve got a cute little thing waiting for me at home. See ya.” He pretended to tip a hat and ended up backing out of the interview room.</p><p>“Tetsurou!” you cackled. “You’re the worst!”</p><p>He grinned at you, knowing full well that his antics always got the best of you. “What was I supposed to do? Cheat on you with some chick I’d have to deal with in the office every day?”</p><p>“Sleep with a careerwoman to further your career? Become her sugar baby so we can live the high life? That’s an easy decision.” You chuckled at the exasperated look on his face. He did not seem too keen on the idea. “Why’d you suddenly have a hat?”</p><p>“Look, you caught me off guard.” He maneuvered his way around the dining room table you’d been using as a makeshift desk. “Besides, what’s the appeal in office romances? You’ve got no privacy since everyone is in your business. I would feel weird using the printers and fax machines knowing other people might’ve slobbered all over it when they were making out. Or worse, they had a quickie and didn’t even clean up.”</p><p>“Gross.” You couldn’t stop laughing at the mental image. “It’s about the taboo. You know…hiding out in a closet, waiting for everyone to leave and locking yourselves in the office, destressing from work <em>at</em> work, like a big ‘F you’ to your bosses. Unless you and your boss are like, I don’t know, into power play.”</p><p>“No thanks. I don’t wanna be at the whim of some random chick who decides she can sack me if I don’t keep up with her demands.”</p><p>You shot him a mischievous smile. “Really? Could’ve fooled me, since you prefer me on top.”</p><p>“That’s because you’re so soft and big, I seriously feel like I’m on a cloud. One that just happens to milk me dry.”</p><p>“Wow.” You realized in the midst of your banter he had backed you up against the table. “Are we going to pretend this is the office meeting room?”</p><p>“No, we’re playing ‘hot girlfriend dressed in a pencil skirt riles up her boyfriend because she’s a huge tease’.”</p><p>“Oooh, I think I’ve heard of that one before. But maybe you could show me how it ends.”</p><p>After editing the resume at least fifty times and asking Akaashi for advice when you were sure the words were starting to blur, Kuroo was ready to submit his application. He was antsy from the moment he uploaded the documents onto the job posting. He would be one of the first applicants since he got the information early and we both hoped it would make a difference. If he could make a big impression, they might use him as a reference point and set the bar high based on his interview.</p><p>Even though Kuroo was anticipating their response, he kept himself busy. Both of you kept up with your studies no problem. College classes were a lot laxer than your years in high school.</p><p>Work was fine. At first, he did get sidetracked, but a few burned pastries and a lecture from his boss got him on track. He was always relieved to see you when you stopped by on your days off. You made sure to buy a dessert he had a hand in making and positioning yourself at your favorite table near the back of the café. Your time there was usually spent shooting flirtatious looks at Kuroo to fluster him and ignoring the evil eyes you got from the schoolgirls who probably had his picture as their phone backgrounds.</p><p>You were in the middle of making dinner when Kuroo got a phone call. The popping oil in the pan was a little too loud for his liking, so he stole off to the balcony for some privacy. You wondered if it was his boss asking him to work an extra shift during the week. You continued to babysit the food while waiting for him to come back.</p><p>You were so absorbed in watching the simmering meat when you felt a pair of arms encircle your stomach. You jumped from the sudden gesture since you hadn’t even heard him. The flick of your elbow sent a fresh spray of oil right towards your chest. Why did you wear a tanktop in front of a pan of hot oil? When would you learn that your actions had consequences?!</p><p>“Son of a bitch!” you hissed, immediately putting your hand over the fresh burn.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Kuroo whipped you around and steered you from the pan so he could get a look at the fresh injury. “Sorry, I thought you heard me call your name.”</p><p>“I’m fine.” You ignored the stinging pain that said differently. Kuroo wasted no time in snagging a dish towel and running it under some cool water. Once it was saturated, he reached over to gently place it over your irritated skin. “It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last. So what’s up?”</p><p>“They want me to come in for an interview. I made the cut.” He tried to keep his voice level, but it was obvious he was over the moon. “I scheduled it for tomorrow after class. They said they do two rounds of interviews. The first one is with the recruiter and the second is with the guy I’ll be interning under.”</p><p>“Awesome!” You beamed at him. “I’m so excited. You’re gonna do great, I know it!”</p><p>“Thanks. You helped get me here. Wanna help me pick out what to wear?”</p><p>“Obviously. You’re going to look so good they won’t even think twice about inviting you back.”</p><p>It wasn’t a surprise when Kuroo came home after his interview with a giant grin on his face. You knew it would go well. You celebrated together, and he told you all about the experience. While nervewracking, the recruiter was genuinely interested and engaged when talking with him. Kuroo was confident that he would be called back. And he did.</p><p>The second interview took place two weeks after the first. Unlike his first interview, the person setting it up didn’t give him any room to negotiate. They merely told him what time he would have to come in. Kuroo was surprised since the vibe was so different. Still, after some discussions with his coworkers, he was able to find someone to cover his shift so he could make it.</p><p>You wanted so badly to go to the building with him and have a look around and be able to discuss the results as you walked home together. You had to work that day. Instead, you secretly bought ingredients for his favorite dish so you could have a warm meal waiting for him. In the past, whenever you had it together, it meant good things were happening. You wanted to keep the tradition alive.</p><p>His interview took place right halfway through your shift. During your breaks you waited for him to text you. You stared at the lack of notifications and wondered why he hadn’t reached out to you. Maybe he was engaged in a conversation with his boss-to-be and they got along so well that their meeting time was extended. Maybe he got turned around and wanted to save his phone battery so he could make his way home.</p><p>You tried not to panic, though you were anxious by the time you were done with work. You kept checking your phone on the way home and hoping that you missed any kind of message from him. He could’ve been waiting to give you the news in person. You didn’t want to reach out and pressure him in case he had mixed feelings about his performance. It was hard to believe that he would fail at anything volleyball related.</p><p>The apartment was quiet when you came home. You turned on the porch light and removed your shoes near the entrance. His weren’t here which confirmed that he was still out somewhere. He should’ve been here by now. Something churned in your stomach and you moved further into the room, gazing at the dark and empty household with a longing for the person you shared it with.</p><p>You started prepping for dinner, taking out all the ingredients and placing them on the counter. You and Kenma texted frequently throughout the day which was the method of communication he preferred. As much as you knew he would calm you down, you needed to hear someone’s voice. You called up Yaku for your daily chat to keep yourself busy.</p><p>“I’m surprised I can’t hear Kuroo making snide comments in the background.”</p><p>Kuroo decided to keep his interviews under wraps in case it didn’t pan out. “Yeah, he had an errand to run. I thought he’d be home by now.”</p><p>“Did he text you?”</p><p>“No, not yet.”</p><p>“Well, don’t worry about it. I’m sure he’s fine. He probably got cornered by some of those girls who hang around the café.”</p><p>“Mm, maybe so.” You thought about how he looked when he left this afternoon. That outfit of his made him the definition of a walking dream. “Anyways, what’s up? Settling in with your new team?”</p><p>Yaku was well on his way to becoming one of the best liberos in the nation, you just knew it. He knew his worth and so did his new team.</p><p>You chatted for about an hour. By then dinner was ready. You set everything down and covered it up so it would retain some heat. You’d avoided looking at your phone the entire conversation. You stared at the screen void of notifications and tried to ignore the deep fear that threatened to bubble over the surface.</p><p>You called Kuroo’s phone after a few more agonizing minutes. To your relief it didn’t go straight to voicemail. You always dreaded that happening, especially since you two binge watched true crime videos from time to time and that was usually a sign that something was wrong. (Mostly to bet on who the killer was. Kuroo was awfully good at it.) It rang a few times before the greeting picked up.</p><p>Just as you were about to text him to give you a call when he could, you heard the locks on the door shift. Relief crashed over you once he ducked underneath the door. You couldn’t see his expression, but he kept his back to you.</p><p>“Tetsurou?” You shuffled a little closer to him. “I got worried when I didn’t hear from you.”</p><p>He finally turned toward you so you could get a good look at him. Even though he was smiling, you could tell straight away it was forced and fake. He offered you a small bundle of flowers. You did take them despite your confusion.</p><p>“Sorry, you went through all the trouble of cooking, but I don’t have much of an appetite.” He flicked his eyes over to the dishes piled in the sink. “I’ll take care of those later.”</p><p>“Are you sure? You haven’t eaten since before lunch.”</p><p>“Yeah. Thanks.” He bent down to plant a peck on your cheek. “I’m going to shower and then go to bed. You should probably put those in some fresh water.”</p><p>You stood in the doorway. He trailed down the hallway and into the bedroom. He closed the door behind him. For a split second you thought it didn’t make sense considering you shared it and had seen your fair share of each other nude. Then it hit you. He needed to be alone. But why?</p><p>Sure, by now you gleaned that his interview didn’t pan out the way he wanted it to. There was something else bothering him and it hurt to know that he wasn’t ready to share it with you. You had to respect his decision. He had every right to process his emotions before approaching you. It would save you a lot of heartache later if he ended up snapping and saying something he didn’t mean. You didn’t want things to devolve into a nasty fight reminiscent of your high school days.</p><p>You stared down at the wilted flowers in your arms helplessly.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p><a href="https://youtu.be/QdabIfmcqSQ?t=129">Literally Kuroo and MC whenever they bang it out.</a> I won't apologize for my actions.</p><p>Have a lovely week everyone! Stay safe and take care of yourselves.</p>
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<a name="section0037"><h2>37. Wakeup Call</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What happened during Kuroo's interview doesn't sit well with either of you. You're determined to make things right.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Have a song that you feel relates to this fic/the characters? Add it to the <b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0hKpVyaFT61dcNNSRePfFo?si=fd508805ebde4af5">new collaborative playlist</a></b>!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For a guy who didn't have much planned for his future, Kuroo was surprisingly confident when he left the apartment that morning. His initial interview with the recruiter from JVA went swimmingly. He was prepared going in and managed to build a decent rapport with the guy as soon as he walked in. It felt more like a casual chat between friends rather than a serious line of questioning. Kuroo was relieved because he felt that if all of the employees there were that easygoing and lax, then he would have absolutely no trouble fitting in.</p><p>He was dressed for the occasion and proudly showed off the tie you picked for him earlier. Part of him was disappointed you couldn't tag along, but he understood that your work was important to you. Aside from paying the bills, the group of kids you were tasked with entertaining during the day adored you. You wouldn't want to disappoint them by calling out sick.</p><p>Everything seemed to be going his way lately. A year ago, if someone told him that he and you would be dating again, that you would be living together comfortably through the first year of university, <em>and</em> that he actually had a sex life (a really, <em>really</em> good one, at that), he would've laughed his way out the door. He never thought he would get to a point where he was content.</p><p>High school had been dramatic, emotional, and a huge learning experience for him. Now a young adult, he revered his independence. He was earning his own money, doing well in his classes, and well on the road to building a life with the woman he loved more than anything.</p><p>He was feeling good about his chances. Even if he didn't land the internship this time, he would definitely use it as a stepping stone. He was excited about making his mark within the organization. </p><p>As such, it only made sense for him to take a quick detour to the florist.</p><p>Kuroo opened the door and it greeted him with a pleasant jingle. The air was full of floral and earthy scents, swallowing him up in a slightly overwhelming cloud. It was a little busier than he would expect for a weekday. Judging by the franticness from one of the guys at the front counter, he must've messed up big time and was trying to make amends.</p><p>"Can I help you?"</p><p>Kuroo turned around and spotted a middle-aged woman with her salt-and-pepper hair tied in a neat bun. A few small hairs framed her face otherwise. The front of her apron was covered with soil and a few splashes of what he assumed was water. She had a cutesy watering can in one hand.</p><p>"Yeah, just looking to buy a bouquet for my girlfriend."</p><p>"Oh? Any special occasion?"</p><p>"Not really." He couldn't keep the sheepish grin off his face. "I've got an interview in a bit and I figured I would bring her something as thanks for helping me out. Would it be okay if I ordered something and picked it up a little later? Maybe an hour or two?"</p><p>"Of course." She wandered over to a row of flowers in all shapes, sizes and colors. "I'll pick something for you, if you don't have any specifics."</p><p>"Go for it. I'm no good with flower arranging or whatever, anyway."</p><p>He stood off to the side to get out of the way for several more people who filed in. Some people wanted to talk about procuring arrangements for weddings, others for funerals. A couple of guys walked in wanting to get in good with their date. Another wanted to spruce up their office since one of their coworkers quit unexpectedly. </p><p>"It's sort of last minute, sorry, I'm proposing tonight and of all things, I forgot the flowers!" One of the men burst through with an excitable energy that was almost infectious.</p><p>As he and Kuroo waited at the counter, Kuroo decided to make small talk with him.</p><p>"So, you're proposing?"</p><p>"Yeah! To my childhood sweetheart." His face turned slightly red. "I hope she says yes. I mean, I know she will. We've been together for five years. She wanted to wait until she turned thirty-five to have kids and I was on board with that. She's thirty and I want to get in a few good years with just the two of us before we start a family."</p><p>"Hey, that's a good idea."</p><p>"Believe me, I wanted to ask way, way sooner," the guy continued to ramble. "Like after six months of being together. Looking back on it, we loved each other, but the future was so uncertain! I think it's important to wait until you've got a stable job and career set in motion. There's nothing worse than getting married young and being broke. I've known a lot of guys who did it and they regret it."</p><p>Kuroo hadn't thought about that. He wondered what the future looked like for the newly wedded Devon and Aniyah. "Oh, uh, guess you've got a point."</p><p>"She deserves to feel secure, like it's not just me asking on a whim. I bid my time and now that I feel like we're settled, it makes sense. It's just, well, she's been there for me for so long. I want to do right by her by not jumping into things so quickly."</p><p>Once he got his bouquet, he dashed out the door. Kuroo watched him go thoughtfully.</p><p>"You don't have to take him seriously, dear." The woman came out to the counter and set down the arrangement she'd been working on. "Marriage isn't the same for everyone. Now what do you think?"</p><p>Kuroo's grin told her exactly what she needed to know. "This is great! I'll pay for it and then I can pick it up later, right?"</p><p>"Of course. I'll make sure they last until then."</p><p>He slid his debit card and stuffed the receipt into his pocket. He needed to get out of here fast in order to make it to the interview early. Kuroo weaved his way through the other customers and reached for the door when it slammed open.</p><p>He wasn't sure what happened in the brief moment he and the other man collided. He saw the can full of foamy liquid go flying and douse the opposing person from head to toe. It clattered to the ground and caused several people to glance their way.</p><p>"Watch where you're fucking going, dipshit!" The man he bumped into grabbed the collar of Kuroo's shirt. He smelled like cheap beer and stale smoke. "Are you blind, dumb, or both?!"</p><p>Kuroo pried the guy's hands off him. He was not going to let this asshole get in the way of his chance. "You're ran into <em>me</em>. Judging from what you were just sipping on, you're the one who needs to watch himself."</p><p>"You motherfuckin'—"</p><p>"Enough!" The woman from before barked. "Saburo, what have I told you about picking fights with my customers?"</p><p>Saburo was so red in the face he was purple. He ripped the shades off his face so he could get a better look at Kuroo in the shop's lighting. It was a little nervewracking to be stared down by such an intimidating guy. Still, Kuroo held his ground.</p><p>"I'll fucking remember you," he hissed through clenched teeth. "Watch your fucking back. You'll regret not getting on your knees and saying sorry."</p><p>Kuroo exhaled when the guy turned around. The people in the shop parted down the middle for him. He must have frequented this place.</p><p>"What do you want this time?"</p><p>"I need two dozen roses sent to this address."</p><p>"Saburo, this is a different woman from the last order."</p><p>"What of it, old hag?"</p><p>"Excuse me?"</p><p>"Hrk...I said, yes ma'am..."</p><p>Kuroo felt bad that the staff had to deal with the mess. He would've stayed to help clean it up any other day, but he had somewhere to be. He ducked out of the shop before the guy could face him again and hurried down the street.</p><p>The building for the interview was one that handled administrative duties for JVA. Kuroo knew that the internship was under someone who worked here. They'd been pretty vague about what the position entailed, aside from clerical duties, but he didn't mind. It was one foot in the door. That was all he needed.</p><p>He walked up to the front desk and greeted the woman who was busy on the phone. She cupped a hand over the receiver and whispered she would be right with him. Kuroo shuffled off and gazed around the room.</p><p>"Are you here for the three o' clock with Mr. Tao?"</p><p>"Yeah." Kuroo had his resume and transcripts in his folder, which he gripped tightly in his sweating hand.</p><p>"I'll let the recruiter know. Hang tight, he'll be down in just a second."</p><p>Kuroo's nervousness abated once the recruited stepped into the lobby. They exchanged smiles and the man strode forward to greet him.</p><p>"So glad you could make it, Kuroo! I know it's a little last minute. Mr. Tao's schedule is...well, he has a lot to do, so his time is valuable. I'm looking forward to you two meeting. He's been seeking an intern for the past six months and no one's come close to interviewing with him. I have a good feeling about this."</p><p>He wasn't sure if the recruiter was being polite, but it helped all the same.</p><p>The recruiter said they could wait in Mr. Tao's office. From the moment Kuroo stepped in, he was in awe. He'd never seen a room so luxurious before. The desk was obnoxiously large and he was certain that the quality of the wood would make it worth an outrageous amount of money. Every painting on the wall was an original. He could tell even the couches were designer. He tried not to shrink in on himself.</p><p>Three o' clock came and went. After a few minutes past their allotted time, Kuroo resisted the urge to check his phone. Maybe the clocks were a little fast? The recruiter didn't seem bothered and continued to make small talk with him to fill the silence.</p><p>Half an hour passed. Then forty-five minutes. There was no sign of Mr. Tao. Kuroo had a brief moment where he wondered if this entire thing was some kind of scheme or joke. But who would go through all the effort? And why? Okabe was trustworthy and everything seemed legitimate so far.</p><p>It was 4:17 P.M. when the doors opened. Kuroo straightened up. He was hyperaware of how much he'd been perspiring and wiped his hands on the leg of his pants. </p><p>"Mr. Tao," the recruiter jumped up. "Our...three o' clock appointment..."</p><p>"Reschedule. I've had a hell of a day and I'm not in the mood."</p><p>"Sir, he's already here..."</p><p>Kuroo watched his life flash before his eyes. The person he'd been anxiously waiting to meet, someone who had a firm grip on his future with the JVA, was the same person he had an altercation with not even two hours before.</p><p>Tao Saburo was not a man to be trifled with. Kuroo knew that now. He reached for a cigarette pack in his pocket and promptly flicked it upwards to catch a lone stick in his mouth. He lit the end before the recruiter could say anything. Tao took a long inhale and purposefully blew out the thick, dark smoke in the recruiter's face. </p><p>"This is Kuroo Tetsurou, the one I was telling you about."</p><p>Kuroo hoped with every fiber of his being that Tao wouldn't remember him. That feeling was dashed away the moment a long, razor thin smile crept along the man's face.</p><p>"Kuroo Tetsurou," he repeated, chuckling under his breath. "Come on up. Let's talk."</p><p>He approached the desk and took a seat. The recruiter dragged a chair over so he could be included, but it didn't feel like his presence made any impact. Kuroo's chest tightened when Tao settled down into his luxurious chair. He leaned back with a hard stare, eyes piercing past the golden lenses of his glasses, and opened his mouth to speak.</p><p>"What position?"</p><p>Kuroo flinched. "Sorry?"</p><p>"I'm asking what position you played in volleyball."</p><p>"I was a middle blocker—"</p><p>"Who was the team captain?"</p><p>"I was."</p><p>Tao frowned and continued to take hard inhales of the acrid smoke. "What school did you go to?"</p><p>"Nekoma."</p><p>"Never heard of it." He snatched the folder that Kuroo placed on the desk and thumbed through the paperwork. He didn't even read through it. It was obvious he scanned over the basic information. "Did you get to nationals?"</p><p>"We did. We got to the third round and lost to Karasuno High." He dropped the name hoping it would make a difference. It didn't. "It was the first time Nekoma got to nationals in five years."</p><p>Tao ignored him. "Why aren't you playing professionally?"</p><p>"I—uh," Kuroo stammered and cursed himself for showing any semblance of weakness. Tao's nostrils flared like a shark scenting blood. "I loved playing volleyball, but I knew that my classmates would be better off playing professionally. I wanted to be involved in another way. As team captain I learned critical leadership skills—"</p><p>"What career are you hoping to segue into with the JVA?"</p><p>He felt sick. "I—"</p><p>"I'm waiting."</p><p>"I-I don't have a set plan yet, but—"</p><p>"What are you majoring in college?"</p><p>"It's my second year, so—"</p><p>"Where are you working now?"</p><p>"I'm employed by Sweet Delicacies Patisserie and Cafe—"</p><p>Tao talked over him, not letting him finish his train of thought. "So let me get this straight. You were the captain of a team who didn't even make it to the quarterfinals at nationals. You have zero dedication to play the sport you supposedly love, you're employed at a job which is completely unrelated to volleyball or athletics in general, you have no skills in clerical work, you have no idea what the hell you want to do with your life, you have no dreams, goals or even an <em>inkling</em> of ambition. Why the fuck should I hire you?"</p><p>Kuroo was at a loss for words. With every sentence spoken aloud, the lump in his throat grew bigger. His knuckles were white as he gripped the edge of his seat. </p><p>"You know what you are? You're a sniveling, disrespectful child with no concept of the real world and what it takes to be a man." Tao picked up the folder filled with Kuroo's accomplishments and promptly began yanking them out, one by one. "You waltz in here thinking that you deserve to be employed by one of the biggest volleyball organizations in the world. You're not prepared for this. You're not prepared for anything. Did you think I would offer you this job on a silver fucking platter? You're mediocre at volleyball, you're mediocre with academics, and based on your shitshow of a life so far, you won't amount to anything. So let me save you the trouble and tell it to you straight: you're a nobody. Now get the fuck out of my office."</p><p>The tattered remains of Kuroo's belongings rained down onto the floor. The folder was thrown across the desk at him haphazardly. Kuroo was frozen for a few agonizing moments before he reached down to grab the folder in case he was reprimanded for fleeing without it. His chest hurt.</p><p>"I am so sorry," he heard the recruiter say. When he looked over his shoulder, he realized that it wasn't Kuroo he was speaking to at all. "Mr. Tao, I really thought—"</p><p>"You worthless piece of shit, wasting my fucking time. If this was your best bet, then cancel the rest."</p><p>Kuroo wasn't sure how he managed to find his way back to the lobby. The despair on his face was plain to see. The front desk receptionist shot him an apologetic look before moving on to her phone call. He managed to swallow his tears until he exited out the front doors.</p><p>Despite how awful Tao was, Kuroo knew he was right. In high school he was a role model for his team, but in the grand scheme of things, what did that matter? He was an average college student who didn't even have a plan for his life. He made decent grades and had a job that would probably wear him down until he gave up all desire to get into sports at all. He was wounded and felt like he was bleeding out as he walked away from the rows of high-rise buildings.</p><p>He thought this was his big break. He thought going into this that he would be able to come home and share good news with you.</p><p>Oh, fuck. What was he going to say to you? He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and blearily stumbled on. You were going to bombard him with questions as soon as he walked through the door. How could he face you when his flaws had been stripped bare and left him vulnerable and weak?</p><p>He was disgusted with himself. He thought he'd changed for you and became a person worthy of your love. You supported his dreams and goals in high school. You had a plan for the future. What could he give you? A weak promise that someday he would make it, and he would be able to support you through whatever venture you went after? Working at a damn pastry shop wasn't going to bring in enough cash so you could work from home on a book, if you so chose.</p><p>About halfway into his journey, he realized he had to go to the florist. He didn't want to. He was embarrassed and ashamed of what happened there. Part of him wanted to say to hell with it and lose out on the money. The other part told him that it was the least he could do to be a somewhat decent boyfriend to you. </p><p>He let himself in. It was much quieter now. He went to the counter and felt around for his receipt when prompted, only to realize it was no longer there. Of course. How could the day get any worse?</p><p>"Oh, I remember him." The old woman called from behind the back of the shop. "You can go ahead and give him the bouquet wrapped in the big red ribbon. I hope she likes it, dear."</p><p>Kuroo mumbled a thank you and took the flowers with him.</p><p>His hands shook when he found a quiet spot to himself at the nearby park. He would get grass stains on the suit. He couldn't care less. He dropped down onto the damp field and drew his knees up, the bouquet resting at his side. He couldn't bear to look at it.</p><p>You were his biggest confidante and he felt too guilty to call you. He knew Kenma would be overwhelmed if he heard the tremble in Kuroo's voice. Yaku would be furious and Kuroo didn't want to risk his budding career with something like this. That went for Bokuto, too. He wasn't as close with Akaashi, Minoru or the two girls. </p><p>He'd never felt so alone before.</p><p>He stared off into the distance. Everyone around him minded their business, living their lives without knowing how much he was hurting. He shied away from looking at anyone and risk inviting them over to comfort him. Spilling his guts out to a stranger was the last thing on his mind.</p><p>He heard some distant laughter and spotted a few children playing with a soccer ball. He didn't think much of it - until a sharp, stinging pain reverberated across his left cheek.</p><p>"Shit," he muttered, losing his balance from the force of the hit. He landed right on top of the bouquet. He rolled off as soon as he'd realized what he'd done and stared at the crushed flowers. The tears started streaming down his face before he even knew it.</p><p>"I-I'm sorry!" one of the little girls cried out as she ran over. Her legs were caked in mud. "Are you okay? Oh no! I hurt you!" She knelt down next to him and fished around in her pocket for a packet of bandaids. "Y-you can take as many as you want!"</p><p>Kuroo avoided looking at her. "That's alright, I'll be okay."</p><p>"Hey, what's the big idea? Where's the ball?!"</p><p>"I-I hit someone on accident!"</p><p>A boy stomped over and loomed over Kuroo, who was still somewhat sprawled on the ground. "Huh? She didn't even hit you that hard! Stop crying, boys aren't supposed to cry!"</p><p>Normally Kuroo wouldn't have cared. Little kids were rude and had no filter. He found himself getting defensive, however.</p><p>"Guys are allowed to cry whenever they want."</p><p>"My dad said they aren't! He said only girls cry!" The boy replied hotly. "You're a grownup! You should know these things!"</p><p>"Well your dad is wrong. You can cry when you have a bad day, when you get hurt, or whenever you want, for no reason at all." Kuroo saw he was on the verge of throwing a tantrum. "Anyway, thanks, but I'm fine."</p><p>The little girl's lower lip trembled. "Are you sure?"</p><p>"Why are you bothering with him?!" her friend snapped. "He's a weirdo!"</p><p>"You're being really mean! I don't want to play with you anymore!" She grabbed the ball, which rolled off to the side, and took off running.</p><p>"Wait!" The boy shouted after her. Once he realized she wasn't even going to turn around and humor him, he went silent. Kuroo could see he was holding back fresh tears. "Fine! I didn't want to hang out with you, anyway! You're stupid! And ugly! Stay away from me!"</p><p>Once his rant was over, and his small chest heaved, Kuroo sighed. "Dude, you can't treat the girls you like that way."</p><p>He bristled. "I don't like her! Gross!"</p><p>"You do. I know because I was the same way." Kuroo wasn't sure why he was bothering to engage with this brat. He was in a terrible mood and felt like he wasn't in a great position to be offering advice. But watching their interaction made him nostalgic. "You can't be mean to girls like that. She'll think that you hate her and she'll stop spending time with you for real."</p><p>"My dad says I have to show girls I'm the boss."</p><p>Who was this guy and why was he setting his son up for failure? Kuroo shook his head. "Is your dad married?"</p><p>"...no."</p><p>"Does he have a girlfriend?"</p><p>"He has lots of girlfriends. They always bring me presents."</p><p>Kuroo was getting a better picture of the type of person he was being raised by. "Listen. I'm dating this girl I met when I was your age. I used to play volleyball and she would come to watch. If she likes playing with you, then she likes spending time with you. I know girls can be annoying sometimes, but they can be sensitive and get their feelings hurt easily. And if you tell her she's ugly and stupid, she might start believing you. You don't want that, right?"</p><p>The little boy frowned and shook his head.</p><p>"I think once you've cooled down, you should say you're sorry. I bet she'll play with you again if you do."</p><p>He scratched at his arm. "Um...can you go with me?"</p><p>"Sure."</p><p>Kuroo dragged himself off the ground and followed the kid to where his friend went. She was curled up under a tree and had her face in her knees. It was obvious she was crying. The boy froze when he saw her and turned to Kuroo with a look of panic.</p><p>With a chuckle, Kuroo plucked a flower from the bouquet and handed it to him. It was one of the nicer ones not squashed by his earlier fall. "Just give her this and say you're sorry."</p><p>It was a surreal moment. Kuroo felt like he stepped back into the past and was giving his younger self the advice he desperately needed to repair your friendship after one of your meaningless squabbles as kids. Sometimes his words hurt and they cut too deep. You were insecure and lashed out when he got to you, which only led to more strife between you. He wondered how things would've been had he just swallowed his pride and done this, instead.</p><p>"Mei?" The boy called out.</p><p>She lifted her head. "Go away."</p><p>He glanced over his shoulder in panic. Kuroo nodded at him to try again.</p><p>"Mei, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I got you this.”</p><p>She lifted her head up only slightly so she could peer at him through choppy bangs. Her expression softened somewhat despite the angry streaks of dried tears on her cheeks. "Really?”</p><p>"Yeah." He offered her the flower. "Will you still be my friend?”</p><p>She reached over with a chubby hand and took it, unfurling herself from the ball she was in. She pressed the flower a little too close to her nose and inhaled. The pollen caused her to sneeze, earning laughter from both of them. "Okay. But I'm tired of playing soccer. Can we go to the jungle gym?"</p><p>He wasn't too happy with her suggestion, but he reluctantly agreed.</p><p>She stood up and her expression was bright. "Yay! Let's go!" Without any warning, she reached down and grabbed his hand. His face immediately went pink. After nestling the broken flower behind her ear, she tucked the soccer ball under her arm and dragged him down the field.</p><p>Although the interaction was a great distraction, Kuroo's mood was still dour. He found a new spot, away from the two, and sat there until the sun traveled past the horizon. It grew a little colder, his chest was numb, and he was hungry despite having no appetite. He roused himself from the bench and took the longest route he could think of back to your apartment.</p><p>He did feel bad when he skipped dinner and shut himself in the room. He felt awful lying in bed trying to force himself to sleep. All he wanted was a brief moment of respite where the day's events never happened.</p><p>"Tetsurou, it's almost noon. You haven't eaten in a day. You have to get up."</p><p>You watched Kuroo shift in bed. You knew he'd been awake on and off for the past few hours and decided to let him sleep. You had no clue what went on the day before, but you knew it was bad enough that the normally energetic guy had been down for the count. You sat on the edge of the bed and reached over to run a hand through his fresh bedhead.</p><p>"I didn't get the internship," he responded flatly. "It was a shitshow."</p><p>"I'm really sorry.” You could hear how much he was hurting, even if he didn't say it aloud. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."</p><p>"He really ripped me to shreds." He chuckled weakly. "And my resume, too."</p><p>"What?" Your heart sank. "What the hell's wrong with him?"</p><p>"He knows what he's doing. He saw I was being cocky and shut me up." Kuroo shifted so he could rouse himself from bed after more than twelve hours trapped there. "I learned my lesson, that's for sure. Just sucks I blew it. JVA would've been perfect."</p><p>You couldn't believe what you heard. What kind of boss would humiliate someone like that? He was supposed to be the representative for the organization. He sounded more like a bully that used adulthood to find bigger targets. You resisted the urge to delve deeper into the experience. You didn't want him to relive it.</p><p>"Let's get you some lunch. I warmed up the leftovers from last night."</p><p>Kuroo used the rest of the day to recuperate from his ordeal. You still didn't know too many specifics, but the way he was treated didn't sit right with you. You knew him like the back of your hand. You knew how much he wanted this opportunity and how well he would fit. It bothered you that someone took less than an hour with him and decided to tear him down to the point where he was imbued with self-doubt.</p><p>He didn't have to work the day after that. He wanted to lounge around in his pajamas and stare at reruns of one of his favorite TV shows. You let him know you would be running some errands and that he could text you if he needed you. He wasn't in the mood to offer his company and you didn't insist. You had an ulterior motive.</p><p>The building Kuroo interviewed in was extravagant in every sense of the word. You dressed up in something nice so you wouldn't stick out so much. People coming in and out were office workers and were subjected to some strict dress codes. You hoped that the extra care given to your appearance would give you some leeway and make a good impression.</p><p>You walked up to the front desk and the woman was on the phone. She glanced up at you and shot you a smile. </p><p>"I'm on hold," she explained, setting the phone down on her shoulder. "How can I help you?"</p><p>"Oh, I was hoping I could see Mr. Tao regarding his job posting."</p><p>She flinched at his name. "Uh, do you...have an appointment?"</p><p>You deflated. You knew you should've called ahead. "I'm sorry, I don't. I don't need much of his time, but if I need an appointment, then I can make one."</p><p>"Sorry, sweetie, I don't handle his schedule. His assistant does that, but her last day was a few days ago. It's strange she didn't get you an appointment before she took off. Then again..." She sighed and twirled her hair around her finger. "She was in a hurry to split. I don't blame her."</p><p>"Did something happen?"</p><p>She had no qualms about sharing gossip. It must've been the highlight of her monotonous day. "Well, I shouldn't be telling you this, but Mr. Tao is notorious for getting <em>too</em> close with his assistants, if you know what I mean. I guess he made another move on this girl and she had enough, so she quit. He actually had me call in a huge order of flowers to be sent her house to see if he could win her back! The florist said if he wanted them, he had to come down and make the order himself. He was so upset."</p><p>You tried to remain calm. "Oh, wow."</p><p>"I'm sure you're used to that kind of thing. It comes with the job. But if you still want to interview with him, I can give him a call?"</p><p>You realized she assumed you were here for the position that opened up. Your heart raced. "Yes, please," you told her, keeping your voice as calm as possible.</p><p>"Okay. Give me one second." She chewed on her lower lip and reached for the other phone at her desk. She dialed the number and tensed when he picked up. "Mr. Tao? I have a candidate here for the personal assistant position. I think that you-know-who forgot to schedule her. Oh...mmhm?" She looked a little taken aback, but put her palm over the receiver. "How tall are you? Without heels."</p><p>You were already uncomfortable, but you offered the information.</p><p>"Yes...I see..." She stole a glance at your left hand. "No sir, she isn't...ah, okay!" She hung up. "He agreed to meet with you. If you take that elevator to the fifteenth floor, his is the office straight down the hall. Good luck!"</p><p>Your anxiety level was off the charts by the time you reached his office door. You knocked once and the person on the other end told you to come in.</p><p>As soon as you stepped inside, you could feel his eyes on you. He was...appraising you. You tried to remain confident and strode across the room. He had his feet up on the desk and was playing with his lighter.</p><p>He twirled his finger around. You knew what he meant and you spun in a slow circle.</p><p>"So, y—"</p><p>"Excuse me, Mr. Tao," you cut him off. "I'm going to be straight with you. I'm not here for the secretarial position. I'm here to ask you to reconsider my boyfriend for the internship position."</p><p>The sleazy smile on his face fell instantly. "The fuck?"</p><p>"My boyfriend had an interview here with you a few days ago. He didn't tell me much, but I know it didn't go well. I'm asking if you would consider giving him another chance."</p><p>He was visibly annoyed. "Who's your boyfriend?”</p><p>"Kuroo Tetsurou."</p><p>That made him bark out a laugh. "Get out of my office."</p><p>"Please.” You stood your ground. "I don't know what happened, but I do know that he would be the perfect fit for the position. I've known him practically my entire life and he loves volleyball so much. So please...give him another chance. I'm begging you."</p><p>You dropped down into a deep bow. It was humiliating, but you found it necessary to convey how serious you were. </p><p>"Hey. Lift your head." Mr. Tao kept eye contact with you as you drew yourself back up. He reached over to his desk and pressed a rather large button that was near his computer.</p><p>"What can I do for you, Mr. Tao?" the gravelly voice on the other end muttered.</p><p>"I need you to escort someone out of the building.”</p><p>"Understood, sir."</p><p>You watched in horror as he reclined back in his seat. It was as if you didn't exist. You were scared, nervous and humiliated. You had a sneaking suspicion that this was the same attitude Kuroo had been subjected to.</p><p>"Thank you for your time, Mr. Tao," you told him levelly. Despite the rage bubbling in your chest, you knew that he was used to people blowing up and making a scene. You wouldn't give him the satisfaction. You turned heel and heard him from behind you.</p><p>"You and your boyfriend are alike, you know. You both run out of here with your tail between your legs."</p><p>You laughed under your breath. "You're wrong.” You faced him one more time. "I may be leaving today, but I'll convince you he's worthy of the job."</p><p>His feral grin only widened. You continued out of the office and left, ignoring the wide-eyed looks from other employees on his floor as the security guard guided you out of the building.</p><p>For the next few days, you showed up to Mr. Tao's office. You wouldn't bother anyone. You would simply go up to the receptionist, ask her if you could speak with him, and when you were turned away, you would sit down in the lobby waiting to see if he would come out. You brought leftover desserts from home to sway the employees, as several of them were a little apprehensive about your recurring visits. They warmed up with enough free treats.</p><p>That tactic was short-lived, however. Not much long after, you got to the building holding some fresh fruit (which you really, really couldn't eat by yourselves despite your elderly neighbors saying otherwise), and you realized the security guard was outside. You approached him without missing a beat.</p><p>"Hi. Am I not allowed inside?"</p><p>He shook his head.</p><p>"Okay. Can you at least give these out around the office? I promised them."</p><p>You spent the rest of the afternoon attempting to make small talk with the hulking man. He didn't budge. </p><p>You knew that you had to back off a little bit. You thought your presence at the company would make more of a difference than this. You were disheartened, but that did not mean you were going to roll over so easily. For Kuroo's sake, you were prepared to keep at it - from a respectful distance, of course.</p><p>You and Kuroo hadn't seen much of each other these days, only because you were both so busy. You hoped you weren't hurting his feelings by being out so much. He never said anything about it. You didn't want him to think you were pulling away because he was still upset about the internship slipping from his fingers.</p><p>You went to a nearby bakery at lunchtime to grab something to eat and brainstorm. You stared at the row of pastries and tried to decide on what to grab for dessert. You noticed a lone scone that sat off to the side. Whatever flavor it was, it was popular. You pointed to the glass and the guy behind the counter picked it up with a pair of tongs, stuffed it inside an already wrinkled bag, and took your money without so much as a thank you.</p><p>"What the hell do you mean you're out?"</p><p>You were in the middle of unwrapping the scone. It hadn't even touched your lips yet. You would recognize that haughty voice in an instant. You watched as the person you’d been tracking down, Mr. Tao, was busy letting off a string of expletives at the poor girl behind the register who looked like she wanted to run out the back door.</p><p>"She...she bought the last one!" The girl ratted you out by pointing a finger in your direction, clearly trying to shift the blame so she could escape. Gee, thanks.</p><p>Mr. Tao zeroed in on you. Once he took a good look at your face, he blanched.</p><p>"Are you fucking stalking me?" he accused, storming your way. "First the office, now this?!"</p><p>You moved the scone away from your face. The sudden action caused him to pause. Before he could say anything else, his stomach erupted into a loud gurgle.</p><p>"Mr. Tao, why don't you have lunch with me?” You wrapped the scone back up and took a seat at the nearest table. "Unless you'd rather not have this."</p><p>He sank down into the seat across from you. He looked awful. You'd seen him when he was at work and cleaned himself up. Here in public, he looked disheveled and winced every time a loud noise came from the background. He was clearly hungover.</p><p>He snatched the scone out of your hand. You thought he would up and leave, but instead he started unwrapping it. His eyes gleamed as if it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his entire life.</p><p>"I'm going to talk while you enjoy your scone. I'll keep my voice down. Do you want some painkillers?"</p><p>He gritted his teeth. You slid them toward him like you were luring a feral cat into a carrier. He grabbed them both and swallowed them dry.</p><p>"My boyfriend is the right person for the job, Mr. Tao.” You knew he was trying to drown you out. You didn't care. "Your recruiter gave him a second interview for a reason. He's dedicated to sports and academics. You saw the grades on his transcript. He was team captain and led his team to nationals for the first time in years. They faced off against countless powerhouse schools who make it there every single year. Tetsurou took a group of people who fought with each other every other day of the week and shaped them into the people they are today."</p><p>He chewed and swallowed. No response yet.</p><p>"Have you heard of Kodzuken? Maybe so. He's a rising YouTube star with serious backings from multiple gaming companies. His ad revenue generates hundreds of thousands of dollars. He also happens to be Tetsurou's best friend. And that's not the only important person he's befriended over the years. Morisuke Yaku, currently playing for the Mizuho Trailblazers. What about Bokuto Koutarou? He's the outside hitter for the Komatsu Leopards. His underclassmen Yamamoto Taketora graduated this year and he's well on his way to going pro. And then there's Shibayami Yuuki, who I hear is already being scouted as a third year in high school."</p><p>Mr. Tao finished his scone and crumpled up the paper it was wrapped in. He attempted to shoot it into the nearby trash can. He failed miserably.</p><p>"Someone surrounded by that much talent is clearly talented himself. These individuals wouldn't have made it without his supervision, dedication, and guidance. He pushed everyone to their full potential no matter how unpolished they were. Tetsurou is a guy who never gives up on anyone."</p><p>He stood up from his seat. You followed him outside the building.</p><p>"Please, Mr. Tao. I'll ask you again. Please reconsider hiring him. Give him another chance.”</p><p>"You're fucking pushy. Is this how you got him to date your fat ass?"</p><p>He was trying to trip you up. No dice. "I'm pushy because I know he won't go this far."</p><p>"Yeah? Because he's a fucking coward." Mr. Tao spit at your feet in an attempt to disgust you. You screamed internally and let nothing show on your face. "Why isn't he here, then? Huh? If he's so great, and he wants this, then why are you here and not him?"</p><p>You kept your cool. "Because he respects what you had to say, no matter how nasty it was. And I know you're wrong."</p><p>He had nothing more to say and pushed his way through the oncoming rush of people. You stood off to the side and watched him go. You were going to be a thorn in his side whether he liked it or not. He should've known better than to mess with Kuroo Tetsurou's girlfriend.</p><p>You reclined on the couch with a soft pillow under your head and your body encased in a soft, plush blanket. You’d been motionless for hours as you continued watching episode after episode of your favorite show. The snacks surrounding you were the perfect reason to stay right where you were. You snuggled deeper into your cocoon and heard Kuroo exit from his room.</p><p>“Hi,” you called out to him with a smile. He slept in his own bed last night. “I made some breakfast earlier, it’s in the fridge.”</p><p>“We need to talk.” He stood motionless at the end of the couch. “Where have you been going for the past week or so?”</p><p>You really hoped he hadn’t picked up on your behavior. You should’ve known he would. “Um…”</p><p>“Look, I’m not accusing you of anything. I just want to know. You’ve been avoiding me for days.”</p><p>Your stomach twisted. “I’m not avoiding you! I swear.”</p><p>“Then why do you keep sneaking off whenever I’m in the apartment?”</p><p>You swallowed and tried to come up with some kind of excuse, but you fell short. “It’s…I’ve been busy with something. I don’t want to tell you yet because I don’t know if it’ll pan out.”</p><p>“And that something has to do with Mr. Tao?”</p><p>“How did you—I mean…” He baited you. Ugh. Why was he so good at that? “Yeah, it does. I’ve been trying to talk to him about the interview you gave.”</p><p>Kuroo eyed you silently for a moment. “Why?”</p><p>“Because I don’t think it’s fair what he did to you. You were crushed when you came home. I thought maybe I could appeal to him so he’d give you another chance.”</p><p>“Well, Okabe texted me and said his teammates were asking why you met up with him yesterday.” He flicked through his phone and read through the messages. “I know you’re not cheating on me. I just need to know why you’d go out in public with him. You know his reputation by now, I bet. He’s sleazy and known for being a womanizer. People like Okabe’s teammates see you and him together, and they make assumptions.”</p><p>“Assumptions like what?” You were starting to get angry. While relieved that he trusted you, a big change from his high school self and the debacle with Mr. Dobashi, you didn’t like what he was implying. “That I’m hooking up with Tao? You just said that you trusted me.”</p><p>Kuroo rubbed his face with his hand, paying special attention to the bridge of his nose and eyes. “If they see you with him now and they find out I didn’t make the cut, they’re going to think you’re offering yourself up to him so I’ll get the job.”</p><p>“That’s stupid, Tetsurou. No one would think that. You’re being paranoid.”</p><p>“And you’re being naïve. That guy isn’t someone you should mess with. You’ve always been like this with guys. All through high school I had to watch while our friends fawned all over you. I can’t tell if you’re pretending not to notice, or if you really are that dumb sometimes.”</p><p>You knew that you were walking on eggshells for a reason. You and Kuroo used to get into arguments like this all the time when you were younger. He could be hard on you when he got frustrated. When he was joking his teasing could really hurt. When he was angry…he dug that much deeper under your skin.</p><p>“I don’t know why you’re bringing this up now, but high school is over with.” You sat up and threw the blanket off you. You kept biting back the equally nasty words you could spew at him. “I don’t care what anyone says. People who know me would never even entertain that idea. Anyone else, I could care less about. All I’m doing is trying to talk with him. We happened to run into each other and I used my opportunity to explain why he needed to reconsider.”</p><p>“No one asked you to do that. <em>I</em> didn’t ask you to do that.” Kuroo’s hands clenched into fists at his side. “This was something I wanted to do on my own. I don’t need you butting in so you can help me out. It makes me feel like shit, like I can’t even support you because you’re always having to clean up my mess or put your own happiness aside. I never told you this, but I knew back in our third year that you put a relationship between us on hold because you wanted me to focus on getting to nationals. And back then I thought that was amazing. But now I see that all it does is show me that I’m always going to be the one who relies on you.”</p><p>“Tetsurou, what are you talking about—”</p><p>“You’ve always been good at everything you do. You got into Hanagasuku on your own. You went to America on your own. You put your feelings off to the side all on your own. You found this apartment and helped me find my first job. You’ve been busting your ass trying to help me find my passion. And now that I messed up, you’re taking it upon yourself to fix things for me. I don’t want you to. I need to do this on my own. I don’t want to feel like this relationship is so one-sided anymore.”</p><p>With his rant over, you let him have a few moments to calm down a little bit. Hearing him unload that on you was jarring. You had no idea he considered your actions overbearing.</p><p>“I don’t feel like it’s one-sided…” you began. “I’ve never felt like I was putting in more than you were. For me, being together has always meant that we can rely on <em>each other</em>. You helped me get through so much all my life, even if you don’t know it. I’m…sorry that you felt like I was smothering you. It wasn’t what I meant to do.”</p><p>You pulled yourself away from the couch and draped the blanket around your shoulders.</p><p>“If you don’t want me to talk to Tao, then I won’t. I was just trying to help. I didn’t know it would hurt you so much.”</p><p>Neither of you spoke to each other as you got ready for work. You left before he did. You weren’t mad at him. You were disappointed in yourself. You wished he would’ve said something earlier. Were you doing too much and limiting his growth?</p><p>You always put on a happy, relaxed persona when you were at work. The kids who stopped by were usually there because their parents needed them somewhere safe after school. You didn’t mind it so much. Being one of the younger librarians, the kids tended to flock to you for questions and conversations. They found some of the other women intimidating, mostly because they were strict when the kids got a little too rowdy.</p><p>Things had been calmer lately. One of the more problematic kids who stopped by nearly every day hadn’t been involved in an incident with his friends. You kept a close eye on him for the most part since he was usually explosive and unpredictable.</p><p>You approached him as he and the other kids gathered up their books to put them on the return cart. “Good work today, Souta. It was nice to see you getting along with everyone.”</p><p>He sniffed and rubbed at his nose. “I only come here ‘cuz I have to.”</p><p>“Well, I like having you here.” You fished out a tissue from your pocket. “Is your dad working late again?”</p><p>He shrugged. “I don’t know.”</p><p>Souta was always the last one to leave the library. You never actually met either of his parents. He usually ran out to the street as soon as a familiar car came into view.</p><p>“Bye bye, Souta! See you tomorrow!”</p><p>You tried to hide your grin. The pigtailed girl waved as she exited the room. She was so cute. Her sugary, bubbly personality was a stark contrast to Souta’s brooding. Despite how different they were, the two of them were essentially best friends.</p><p>“I noticed you and Mei haven’t been fighting as much.”</p><p>Souta looked the other way. “Because I don’t want her to hate me,” he mumbled. “Girls don’t like boys who are mean to them.”</p><p>“Did your dad tell you that?”</p><p>“No. Some weird homeless man we met in the park.” He finished rubbing his nose across the tissue and handed it back to you so you could throw it away.</p><p>He waited for you as you finished up your duties, reading quietly as the hour ticked on. You glanced at the clock more often than he did. It was late. Most kids his age would’ve been in bed by now. You usually brought him something to eat so he didn’t miss dinner.</p><p>Closing time came and went. You locked up and went to the front of the building. This was probably the latest it’d ever been. Souta’s mood quickly soured and he grew more impatient. He wanted to go home and sleep. Where the hell was his dad? You tried to call the number he gave you, but it went straight to voicemail.</p><p>Your own phone rang. You answered it without thinking. “Hello?”</p><p>“Where are you?” Kuroo blurted. “Work ended like two hours ago.”</p><p>You were still sore from your conversation earlier. You withheld your urge to be petty. “I’m with Souta. His dad hasn’t picked him up yet.”</p><p>“Are you guys waiting inside?”</p><p>“We were, but the janitor came by and said he was doing some deep cleaning. I didn’t want to sit around with all those strong chemicals in the air.”</p><p>“Sit tight. I’m coming by to keep you company. I don’t like the idea of you and a little kid by yourselves in the middle of the night.”</p><p>“Who was that?” Souta asked.</p><p>“My boyfriend. He’s going to wait with us, he’ll be here soon.”</p><p>Kuroo’s figure loomed at the other side of the street as he waited for the light to change. His long stride meant he reached you in no time once he used the crosswalk.</p><p>“Hey, I know you!” Souta pointed at him. “You’re the homeless guy!”</p><p>You laughed. “What?”</p><p>“He was in the park in a dirty suit with old flowers. Mei hit him with our ball and he cried.”</p><p>Kuroo put a hand on his hip. “Kid, you’re not supposed to go around telling people that.”</p><p>“But you said it was fine for boys to cry!”</p><p>“Yeah, I did say that, didn’t I?” He chuckled. “So this is the girlfriend I was telling you about. Small world.”</p><p>Souta looked at him and then you. “I think she’s only dating you because she feels sorry that you don’t have a house.”</p><p>“Dude, I’m not homeless,” Kuroo insisted. “I was just having a bad day. Did he tell you that he made his friend cry and he asked me to help say sorry?”</p><p>“Did not!”</p><p>“Did too.”</p><p>“Did not!!!”</p><p>The tense mood dissipated, and you were relieved that Kuroo easily kept the kid’s mind off things. You didn’t even have to say anything about being cold. Kuroo shucked his jacket off so he could put it around your shoulders. You would’ve protested, but he had a sweatshirt on underneath. Kuroo stopped by the vending machine on the way and bought a couple of hot drink, so you shared one while Souta sipped at the other.</p><p>“Your dad does this a lot?” Kuroo ventured. “He must be a busy guy.”</p><p>“He’s super important,” Souta bragged. “He makes a million gazillion yen. He promised he would buy a helicopter for my birthday so we can fly around wherever we want!”</p><p>“That’s awesome. Mind if I go with you on a ride sometime?”</p><p>“No way. You smell like donuts. I hate donuts.”</p><p>“What about me?” you asked, a smug smile already worming its way on your face.</p><p>Souta pretended to think about it. “You can come. But you can’t invite him.”</p><p>“Fine. I’ll just find that girl you were playing with and we’ll go on our own adventure.”</p><p>“You can’t!” Souta shrieked. “Mei’s my friend, not yours!”</p><p>“Whoa, okay, dude.” Kuroo chuckled, knowing it was better to back off for now. “I take it you guys are getting along better.”</p><p>“She made me a bracelet.” Souta flashed it to both of you. “So HA!”</p><p>A pair of headlights flooded the street in front of you. You hadn’t even noticed until someone stepped out. You tensed up when you realized that their pace when heading toward you was anything but friendly. They stormed ahead as if they were set on harassing you.</p><p>“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!” the stranger boomed. “Get the fuck away from my son!”</p><p>You blinked. When the man stepped into the nearest streetlight, it was clear who it was.</p><p>“Daddy!” Souta cheered. “Hey, how come you’re mad?”</p><p>He ignored the boy’s question. “You two have some big fucking balls. What did you think would happen? You would grab him and blackmail me into giving you the job? Are you insane?”</p><p>“You’re way off.” Kuroo refused to back down and moved to shield you away from Mr. Tao’s fiery eyes. “She works here and I came to pick her up.”</p><p>“What a load of shit—”</p><p>“It’s true!” Souta shouted, trying to get his dad’s attention. “I told you about her! She reads us stories and brings us snacks all the time! She even gave me her umbrella when it rained!”</p><p>Mr. Tao’s eyes flicked from Kuroo to you. He didn’t seem entirely convinced yet.</p><p>“I was just waiting with him out here until you came to pick him up. I’m usually the one standing out here with him. I guess you don’t really notice because it’s dark by the time you get here.” You tried not to be too snarky with him. It bothered you a lot that he would leave his son hanging all the time. Now knowing who he was, it made sense.</p><p>“You didn’t answer your phone,” Mr. Tao grabbed Souta’s arm. “I tried to call you to tell you that you needed to wait for me at Uncle Tokki’s house.”</p><p>“I forgot to charge it!”</p><p>“I put the charger in your bag this morning! Did you lose it again?!”</p><p>“No…”</p><p>“You need to pay attention, Souta! I was stuck in traffic this whole time and I missed out on my last meeting because of you!”</p><p>You wanted to say something, but Souta beat you to it. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.</p><p>Mr. Tao stared at him in disbelief. “What did you just say?”</p><p>“M’sorry…” he repeated, his head hanging limply. “I let Mei borrow it and she forgot to give it back. I won’t do it again.”</p><p>His dad ran a hand through his slicked hair and his eyes squeezed shut in frustration. “I was worried about you. I’m glad you’re okay. Who the hell taught you to…say something like that?”</p><p>Souta pointed at Kuroo, earning a surprised look from you and Mr. Tao. “He made me say sorry to Mei ‘cuz I hurt her feelings. She was way happier when I did, and now we’re best friends. I made you mad and sad…so…” He lifted his head. “He’s really nice, even if his hair is dumb and he stinks.”</p><p>Mr. Tao bellowed with laughter. You decided not to follow suit, even if a smile threatened to bloom across your face.</p><p>“Can we go home? I’m tired.”</p><p>“One sec.” Mr. Tao studied you intently, then stared at Kuroo for a long moment. “Why don’t you go pro?”</p><p>Kuroo sighed, his shoulders going lax. “I love playing volleyball, but I prefer helping others push themselves to the limit. Tons of players out there have potential to be the best. I know exactly what they need to improve on and where their talents lie. I can see who’ll make it and there’s nothing better than getting them to see it, too. If there’s any sport I’d dedicate my life to, it’s volleyball. It changed my life and made me the person I am today.”</p><p>“And where do you see yourself in the future?”</p><p>“Climbing the ranks at JVA and making it into the sports promotion division to prove you wrong about me. After that, I’ll be taking your throne.”</p><p>Mr. Tao sneered at him. “I need a guy with a lotta guts. Whoever I hire is going places, so this is a lifetime commitment. I’m not interested in someone who isn’t sure about how dedicated they are to the sport. So if you’re ready to accept that responsibility, then I’ll take you under my wing.”</p><p>Kuroo didn’t hesitate for a second. “JVA is where I belong.”</p><p>“Good answer. Well, guess this means I’ll shelve those daydreams about smashing your face in for running into me the other day.” He pushed his glasses up from the bridge of his nose. “I expect I’ll see more of you, too, since you’re two peas in a fucking pod. A pain in my ass, that’s for sure.”</p><p>“I’m taking that as a compliment,” you smiled sweetly. “Bye, Souta. Get some rest, okay?”</p><p>Mr. Tao turned heel and his son followed him dutifully. You held your breath up until the last moment when he drove away.</p><p>Kuroo turned to you with a grin. “I’ve got an internship at JVA.”</p><p>“Yep. You sure did.” You reached down and squeezed his hand. “I’m proud of you, Tetsurou. Really, I am.”</p><p>“You did help me with this one, and I owe you.” He ran his thumb over your knuckles. “Look, I’m sorry I blew up on you earlier. The truth is, I got really down on myself because of what he said. I don’t have all the answers. I didn’t even have a plan. I want you to feel secure when you’re with me. I want to be the guy who you know you can count on.”</p><p>“You already <em>are</em>,” you insisted. “Even if you don’t see it. You absolutely are. I couldn’t have done half the things in my life without you cheering me on and when it came to all of this, I wanted to return the favor. But I know now that even though we’re there for each other, we can’t always fix each other’s problems. Like, there are things that you have to deal with on your own. And that’s okay. Supporting you doesn’t mean taking over for you. I guess I just get so worried, I don’t want you to be hurting, I only want the best for you. It’s not realistic to think you and I will get through life without disappointment, failure, all that good stuff. What I do know is that no matter what happens, I know we won’t ever have to go through it alone because we have each other.”</p><p>You and Kuroo met for a warm, soft kiss.</p><p>“Okay, go ahead. Ruin the moment.”</p><p>“That was cheesy as hell,” he laughed, slipping an arm around your waist. You started on your way home together. “I love that about you, y’know?”</p><p>“Yeah. I do. And before you ask, we can totally have makeup sex.”</p><p>“Hell yes!”</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Me, writing this chapter: get rekt kuroo</p><p>Tao isn't going to have a redemption arc. He's an asshole, through and through, don't let his mushy moment with his son fool you.</p><p>Also, I know that Bokuto and Yaku play for the MSBY Black Jackals and Cheegle Ekaterinburg after the timeskip, but I kind of wanted them to gain experience through other lesser known teams first. Hopefully that makes sense.</p><p>Have a great week! &lt;3</p>
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<a name="section0038"><h2>38. Falling into Place</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Despite the monotony of work and school, you and Kuroo cherish every moment you have alone.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><b><a href="https://forms.gle/vfsMpW8f7b5kN4GG7">Vote here</a></b> to help me decide which Haikyuu!! guy to write about next!</p><p>You can view the current results <b><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfiUENY3QOSCmk1TKHOML6qQxxL3qcWMmcF4x1esy2VUVST3w/viewanalytics">here</a></b>.</p><p>Have a song that you feel relates to this fic/the characters? Add it to the <b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0hKpVyaFT61dcNNSRePfFo?si=fd508805ebde4af5">new collaborative playlist</a></b>!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So…monitoring comments, reading out donations, new subscribers and followers. I think I've got it. What about the chatroom? Should I worry?”</p><p>“I wouldn't. It's a lot of the same. There's a bot that gets rid of the nastier comments. Don't let it bother you, anonymity makes people feel invincible.”</p><p>“I really hope I do okay. I don't want you to lose popularity because of me.” You continued scrolling through your checklist, the nervousness causing your chest to tighten.</p><p>When Kenma asked if you would be available to help him with one of his twenty-four-hour charity livestreams, you were interested, but you couldn’t commit. It just so happened that Kuroo was told he needed to work overtime and your plans for the weekend were shot. </p><p>As painful as it was, you were glad that Kuroo's boss trusted him enough to rely on him more. He was a hard worker. He picked up the slack and went above and beyond to keep his position. Even if you were lonely, you had to remind yourself that he would be with you if he could. He always made it up to you in the end.</p><p>“That won't happen. I know some streamers are kind of toxic and their fans follow suit, but the people who watch me are tame in comparison.”</p><p>“That's good.”</p><p>“Thanks for doing this for me,” Kenma tucked a rebellious lock of hair behind his ear. “You must be busier these days.”</p><p>You smiled at him through the webcam. “It's not so bad. It hasn't really hit me yet. I can't believe we'll be college graduates this time next year. Classes are fine, I'm juggling my schoolwork with that creative writing circle. Tetsurou is the one with more on his plate. Between classes and his job with JVA, I wonder how he has time to meet up with his business major friends. I have no idea what they even do or talk about. He tries to tell me and I end up zoning out every single time. All I know is, he's learning leadership skills that he needs to keep up the pace at JVA. They go to a ton of events with guest speakers to learn about real life experiences versus what they learn in class. I think his favorite thing is going to the sporting events and watching firsthand how the teams are managed.”</p><p>You realized toward the end of your babbling that he was laughing under his breath.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“It's just...” He chuckled again. “You and Kuroo both do that. I end up asking you about yourselves, but you just go off on a tangent about each other. The other day I asked him how things at the office were going. He ended up talking mostly about how you shot down his idea of getting a puppy.”</p><p>“Because! There's no way we can handle a dog right now. He and I aren't ever home. Neither of us have time to train it. And he said he wants to name it Tetsurou Jr., even if it's a girl.”</p><p>“Well, I think he was only half serious. He said he just likes seeing you get riled up.”</p><p>“What a pervert,” you muttered. “I swear. I'm sorry on his behalf. I know you don't need to hear about the two of us that way. Like, he thinks he's being funny, but it makes you uncomfortable.”</p><p>Kenma shrugged. “He's been talking about these kinds of things for as long as I can remember. I've learned to drown him out when he gets too explicit.”</p><p>“He's so gross. Ugh.” You covered your face with your hands. “Next time he starts, just hang up on him and save yourself.”</p><p>“I'll keep it in mind. By the way, you didn't hear it from me, but I was asked to beta the new sequel to <em>Ash Mountain</em>. I thought you'd want to watch me play it since that was one of the first RPGs I got you into. They swear up and down that the new engine makes the character creator like a hundred times better than the last.”</p><p>“I'll believe it when I see it! You know my biggest gripe for those games: <em>why can't my character be fat? </em>I can use magic to obliterate hordes of enemies, but I can't have a body without balloon tits and missing ribs for that itty bitty waist.”</p><p>“You'll just have to come over and find out.”</p><p>You closed your laptop and stretched. It was always nice catching up with your friends from high school. Kenma didn't live down the street from you anymore, but you managed to keep up with each other through various ways. You made a mental note to invite him over to dinner one of these nights when he wasn't too busy. He spent a lot of his time at home, and while that was typical behavior for him, spending time together in person was always so much better.</p><p>You saw your phone going off and bent down to pick it up.</p><p>“Hey. What's up?”</p><p>“I've been texting you for the past hour,” Kuroo groaned. “Where were you?”</p><p>“I was chatting with Kenma. We were going over the charity stream stuff. Why? Is everything okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, I'm fine. I just need you to come outside. Are you dressed?”</p><p>You glanced down at your current outfit. It consisted of Kuroo's shirt and his boxers. “Uh...define 'dressed'?”</p><p>“I'm giving you like ten minutes. It's important.”</p><p>“Alright...” You frowned and took the phone with you to the bathroom. “Do you need me to bring you food or something?”</p><p>“Not quite. See you in a few. Unless you want to turn on video so I can get a sneak peek.”</p><p>“Goodbye, Tetsurou.” You hung up. You laughed just knowing his expression was probably one of extreme disappointment.</p><p>After making yourself look as decent as possible (given your limited time window), you grabbed your keys and wallet before exiting the front door. You weren't sure where Kuroo was or what the big secret was. You didn't see him waiting outside the door. He didn't jump around the corner to scare the shit out of you, either. You stood in the hallway and texted him.</p><p>Once you got your reply, you headed toward the street. Nothing seemed amiss at first - until you realized that your boyfriend was leaning up against the side of a sports car with a giant grin on his face. The wind tousled his hair and caused his tie to flutter, one long leg crossed over the other. He had his arms folded and the tailored suit looked as crisp and fresh as it did this morning when you watched him iron it.</p><p>“Tetsurou? What the hell is that?” You called out to him. “Whose car is this?”</p><p>“It's Tao's,” he responded, that grin only growing wider. “I stole it.”</p><p>“Are you fucking kidding me?”</p><p>“Yes.” He burst out laughing. “I mean, it is Tao's, but he let me borrow it.”</p><p>“Wait, I'm so...so confused right now.” You felt like you’d somehow walked into an alternate dimension. “I understand this is Tao's car, but what are you doing with it? You don't have your license.”</p><p>“I do now.” He rifled through his pocket and flipped the card around to show you. You were still standing a way off from him, only because you felt like this was a buildup to some sort of prank. “Come on, I don't bite.”</p><p>“Uh, yeah, you do. And I have the marks to prove it.” </p><p>You sighed and headed forward to check it out. It was freshly laminated. The picture showed him wearing the exact same outfit, and sure enough, the issue date was today. You read through the text, scrutinizing it for any kind of typo that would allude to it being fake.</p><p>“It's legit, I swear.”</p><p>“I am sooo suspicious of you right now. Why did Tao give you his car?”</p><p>“He wanted me to pick up some things for him and threw the keys at me. He was the one who said I needed my license if I wanted to keep working for him.”</p><p>You had to admit, it was a really nice car. You didn't know much about makes and models, but the design was sleek, luxurious, and flashy. Of course, because Tao was gaudy and obsessed with appearance, it definitely had a custom paint job. You'd never seen that shade of blue sold anywhere else. It didn't have a scratch on it and was clearly washed recently.</p><p>“Wanna go with me?”</p><p>You blinked. “What? No way.”</p><p>His face fell in response. “What's the problem? I promise I'm a safe driver. I got a perfect score on my practical test.”</p><p>“It's not that I don't trust you, it's just...” You narrowed your eyes at the passenger seat. “I feel like if I get in there, I'll catch some kind of STI.”</p><p>“Are you serious?” he cackled. </p><p>“You know how Tao is! He's always bragging about his one-night stands! I guarantee you that he's made one of his sugar babies do gross stuff to him while he's driving!”</p><p>“I cleaned it out before I came here, don't worry.” He gestured to it. “I mean it. I went through this thing with enough disinfectant to make a germaphobe rest easy.”</p><p>“Well...okay. But are you sure it's alright? He goes off on you for the weirdest things.”</p><p>“Yeah. He actually said he'd be fine if I brought you along, <em>and</em> to treat you with the company card if you want anything.” You watched him open the passenger door and give you an expectant look. “So let's get going.”</p><p>You felt on edge as soon as you ducked underneath the roof to climb inside. Your nostrils stung a little bit with the lingering scent of cleaning products. There wasn't a speck of dust anywhere. No condom wrappers or discarded underwear. You were a little more comfortable settling into the plush seat once you gave your surroundings a thorough look.</p><p>“Nice, right?” Kuroo slid into the driver's seat like he belonged there. He adjusted the rearview mirror, but judging by the slight of his hand, it was mostly for show. “I want to be able to afford something like this.”</p><p>“I don't know, I'd be scared of getting hit or wrecking it. I think I'm good with taking the train or the bus.” You buckled your seatbelt and struggled to get the strap to sit comfortably between your boobs. Why? Why hadn't they redesigned these things to accommodate people? “You look a lot more at home with it than I do. I mean, like, your outfit.”</p><p>“Tao wouldn't let me step inside his office unless I bought something at his favorite suit shop. He said he'd write it off for tax credit. He's such an ass.”</p><p>“Careful. I bet he has cameras in here to record his sexual escapades. I guess I should've dressed a little nicer if that's the case.”</p><p>Kuroo did not find your joke funny. At all.</p><p>You fiddled with the radio and admired the sound system as Kuroo drove you down the cramped streets with ease. You had no idea how he found time to study up for his license. He must have been trying to keep it a surprise. He succeeded. You watched him operate everything smoothly. His hands were loose on the wheel, shoulders lax, his sharp gaze on the constant lookout for traffic and pedestrians. Was he hot while driving? Absolutely. You tried not to stare too long, knowing he would tease you about it later.</p><p>He pulled into a parking lot that was admittedly not in the best part of town. You wondered if it would be okay to leave it unattended, but the nearby security guard told you that you would be fine. Kuroo opened the door for you and helped you out since it was so low to the ground. He didn't bother letting go of your hand as he led you toward the building around the corner.</p><p>You were at some kind of shopping plaza, one you hadn't been to before. It wasn't the worst place in the world despite the questionable atmosphere right outside. Boisterous laughter of teenagers wasting their free time resounded in the large space. Some older women were walking around the layout of the building to get their steps in. </p><p>Kuroo seemed to know where he was going and led you to a shop with a bunch of sale promotions plastered on the outside glass. The door jingled when you entered, and the smell of heavy perfume and cologne smacked you in the face. You took a few seconds to get your bearings. When you were able to focus again, your face immediately felt hot.</p><p>“Tetsurou,” you whispered, yanking his hand so he would stop for a second. “Why are we in a sex shop?”</p><p>“I told you Tao needed me to run an errand, right?” He fished out a list from his jacket pocket. “He was pretty specific on what he wanted.”</p><p>“Oh, gross! I don't need to know about his kinks!” </p><p>You felt a little lightheaded going through the first few rows of merchandise. Maybe you were being a prude, but you would've much rather handled this kind of shopping online rather than in person. It was embarrassing, especially because there were several obvious underaged couples waltzing around like they lived there. You wondered if they were putting on a facade, or if they really were confident enough in themselves to shop around despite the fact that they couldn't buy anything.</p><p>“Come on, it'll be fun. Just look, I promise there's nothing too weird.” He handed you the list.</p><p>“Dude! The first thing on here are nipple clamps!”</p><p>“Yeah, but maybe they're for him.” He doubled over when he saw your expression. “I secretly think Tao is into dominatrixes. It just makes sense. He treats women like garbage, but I bet he gets off on them doing the same to him.”</p><p>“This is awful. Look, why don't you go shopping and I wait outside?”</p><p>Kuroo ignored you. “Check it out. They even have lingerie in the back.”</p><p>You were exasperated as he stole off without you. You had no choice but to chase after him, especially because you spotted a weird guy staring at you through the shelves. You had doubts about whether he worked here, and you didn't want to stick around to find out.</p><p>“What the hell's up with this sizing?” he muttered. “Extra extra small, extra small, small...”</p><p>“What are you looking for?”</p><p>He plucked one of the outfits from the rack - a red cheerleader outfit - and held it up to you in response.</p><p>“Tetsurou!”</p><p>“What? I was just checking to see if it was big enough.”</p><p>“I'm not buying lingerie from here! There isn't even a dressing room to see if it fits.”</p><p>“It's okay if it's a little small. I mean, you wouldn't be wearing it for long, anyway...”</p><p>“Then what's the point?”</p><p>He sighed. “Let me have some fun, will you?”</p><p>You scowled at him as he rifled through the outfits. Had he always been like this? Or had his sex drive just quadrupled since your time in high school? You had no idea. You slipped away from him before he could embarrass you with another outfit. You had a sneaking suspicion that you would have to go somewhere else to find something halfway decent in your size.</p><p>You found yourself in a section that you hadn't meant to wander into. You were surrounded by...so much penis-shaped merchandise. Mugs. Pens. Lollipops. Jewelry. You grabbed something off the top shelf and hid it behind your back before rushing back to Kuroo.</p><p>“I got most of the stuff on here. I was teasing you earlier because I knew this kind of thing wasn't your style.”</p><p>“I found something perfect for you.” You smiled at him sweetly. “Bend down.”</p><p>He must've thought you were being serious. You weren't. You slapped the hat on him, and he reached up to feel it. His hands groped at the bouncing shape of a clearly erect penis that adorned the top. His hands dropped like they were on fire.</p><p>“What the hell is this?” he laughed.</p><p>You led him over to the nearby mirror. “Now Yakkun can officially call you a dickhead.”</p><p>“Pfft...” He tore it off and attempted to put it on you. You pushed him away with a laugh and nearly backed up into a stand filled with terribly made body jewelry. You felt bad for anyone who bought it not knowing beforehand they had an allergy to cheap metals.</p><p>With the tension eased a little bit, you made your way around the rest of the store to laugh at all of the weird products on display. </p><p>“Sure, this underwear is edible, but does it actually taste good? I doubt it.” Kuroo read the back of the box with his brows furrowed. “Don't get me started on the flavored lube.”</p><p>“I'm glad Tao isn't making you pay for this and then reimbursing you. He's so creepy.”</p><p>“Yeah. I'm still kind of annoyed he said I could get you something, too.”</p><p>“Wait, you were serious about that?”</p><p>“Dead serious.”</p><p>You stood in front of a larger shelf and reached out to grab something. Kuroo was busy rifling through various posters for sale. The majority of them were the stuff that teenagers' wet dreams were made of. He didn't seem too interested in staring too long at them. He kept flicking through each frame rhythmically as the edges clacked together.</p><p>“I'm going to the register. Be right back.”</p><p>“Huh?” He turned and his finger got caught between two of the posters as they slammed together. He hissed and withdrew it. “You found something you actually want?”</p><p>“Yeah. Since you're away a lot for work. A girl has needs.”</p><p>His eyes narrowed. “Lemme see it.”</p><p>“Why? You won't be around when I use it.”</p><p>You grinned and took a step back. He followed suit.</p><p>You should’ve known better, because Kuroo was far more agile than you were. He faked you out and snatched the object from your hands before you could react. You tried to keep a straight face when he stared at the picture on the box.</p><p>“This is...a sex doll,” he muttered, his expression stony. </p><p>“Yeah. I named him Laiba Hev since he's got a full twenty-one centimeters to work with—”</p><p>He grabbed you and clamped a hand over your mouth before you could finish. You laughed into his palm, tears already springing to the corners of your eyes. You couldn't tell whether he was actually angry with you or pretending to be.</p><p>You couldn't resist teasing him about Lev, only because it continued to be a sore spot whenever he was mentioned. You even stumbled upon him in public once and Kuroo had been a lot snappier and sarcastic than usual. You had to scold him when you walked away for treating his underclassmen so poorly. The next morning, he calmly asked you if you had any interesting dreams. It was kinda cute seeing him so jealous.</p><p>You decided you'd seen enough. You pushed forward from the back of the store and went into a more open area. While it was still awkward being in here, at least you and Kuroo managed to ease the tension by making each other laugh.</p><p>You glanced over at one of the shoppers and you happened to lock eyes. A relaxed smile broke out on their face.</p><p>“Hey, I thought I recognized you,” Sora greeted you, strolling over with her hands in her pockets. “Although I never would've guessed you and Kuroo frequent these kinds of places.”</p><p>You fought back a blush. “Um, we don't. Kuroo's boss is a weirdo and made him come here to pick some stuff up.”</p><p>“Seriously?” She laughed. “Wait, the guy from the bakery? I had no idea.”</p><p>“No!!! Oh my gosh, no. He's working at the volleyball association. What about you?”</p><p>“Everything's great. The tattoo shop is always busy and I'm getting a ton of experience with the clients my boss hands off to me. If you and Kuroo ever want to get matching tats or your names on each other, swing on by.”</p><p>Kuroo must have realized you ditched him because he doubled back and spotted you. “Sora, it's been a while.”</p><p>“Tell me about it. I was just telling your girl that if you want a discount on some body art, you should hit me up.” She brightened up. “That reminds me, I've gotta introduce you to my girlfriend. We met like a few months after I quit. Oh, there she is. Aiko, c'mere!”</p><p>You turned slightly and all the blood drained from your face. Your stomach clenched and queasiness shot out to every part of your body. It wasn't the name that tripped you up, it was the person who approached you. You would never forget her for as long as you lived. Her panicked expression mirrored yours, which only confirmed what you’d been dreading.</p><p>Sora didn't seem to notice. She swung her arm around the slender girl's shoulders. “Aiko, this is—”</p><p>“I know who they are.” She bit her lower lip and for the first time in years, you made eye contact. She murmured your name. “And Kuroo. It's, um, nice to see you guys again.”</p><p>“Likewise.” Kuroo was the epitome of cool and collected. “How long have you two been together?”</p><p>“About six months. She came to the shop with her ex and I ended up seducing her right outta that relationship. I did feel kinda bad at first. But I mean, let's be real, she wasn't that great of a girlfriend in the first place. She made Aiko pay for the tat because she just happened to forget her wallet. And it was a shitty design. You know that white cat from <em>Kiki's Delivery Service? </em>She wanted it anthropomorphic and dancing on a stripper pole.”</p><p>You gigglesnorted. The mental image was awful. Aiko looked like she wanted to crawl in a hole and die.</p><p>“So how do you guys know each other?”</p><p>“Um, well,” Aiko stammered, “she and I went to high school together. We were...friends...during our first year, and...”</p><p>“We grew apart.” You shot her a comforting smile to ease her fears. What happened between you was years ago and there was no use holding a grudge. “I went overseas, she got super involved in the volleyball club, you know how it is. But it's nice to see you're doing so well.”</p><p>“You, too. You look amazing.” She finally tore her gaze from you and gave Kuroo a brief nod. “I'm a little surprised you guys are still together. I…heard you broke up.”</p><p>“Yeah, we did, but you know she couldn't resist me for very long.” Kuroo grinned and pulled you closer to him with an arm around your waist. “She's stuck with me.”</p><p>“It's always been that way, hasn't it? No one could ever get between you, no matter how hard they tried. She's only had eyes for you.” You realized she was responding to him but looking straight at you. “I'm really glad you're happy.”</p><p>Sora's eyes widened and she coughed into her hand. “Uh, so, we won't keep you guys any longer, I'm sure you're busy. You ready, babe?”</p><p>“Oh, um, yup.”</p><p>“Alright, see you guys later.” Sora gave you a nervous smile before walking right out the front door, Aiko at her side. </p><p>Kuroo didn't say anything when you paid for Tao's stuff. He was oddly quiet the entire time you went back to the car. You were worried about whether seeing Aiko upset him. You didn't leave on good terms at all. She caused a lot of problems between the both of you back when you were still getting the hang of the whole dating thing. </p><p>You settled into the seat and buckled up. Kuroo turned the ignition on and left the car idling for a few seconds, his hands in his lap.</p><p>“I guess we know why she freaked out so bad when she saw you and Dobashi,” he chuckled weakly. “I always thought it was kind of weird.”</p><p>“Hm? What do you mean?”</p><p>Kuroo glanced at you from the corner of his eye. “You're not serious, right?”</p><p>“Tetsurou, I'm really confused.”</p><p>He sighed and tossed his head back onto the headrest. “Okay, so, remember when she found out that you and Dobashi met up? She went nuts. She was acting like a crazy ex-girlfriend.”</p><p>“And?”</p><p>“Dude.” Kuroo angled himself toward you. “It wasn't me she was in love with. It was <em>you</em>.”</p><p>“Whaaat?” You laughed. “That's the dumbest theory ever.”</p><p>“It's not a theory. Did you seriously not notice the way she was looking at you in there?” He was exasperated. “It was like Sora and I weren't even in the room. Now it's all coming together. You said she just kind of latched onto you the first time you guys met, and you guys were inseparable. She was always trying to spend time with you and was so damn touchy all the time. I hung out with her a few times, but we only ever talked either about you or what was going on at home. I mean, she's only dated girls judging by what we just learned. She would make excuses about not being able to date guys. Remember? She'd say she asked a bunch of people out and they wouldn't be interested. That didn't make sense because she was so popular with every guy we came across. Maybe she would just confess to guys she didn’t even really know, and they were weirded out, or she only asked out guys who were already dating someone. And get this. She kept telling me to give up on you after you betrayed 'us'. Not me. <em>Us.</em> I think she was actually trying to convince herself it was me she had a thing for and not you.”</p><p>To say the information was shocking was an understatement. “I don't know. I don't think it's cool for us to speculate on whether she's attracted to guys or not. But we do know she's had a couple of girlfriends at least—”</p><p>“Didn't you <em>ever</em> suspect she and Minoru's sister were a thing?”</p><p>“I mean...maybe... but he never said anything about it.”</p><p>“Minoru's not the type to gossip. Those two were always around each other when you guys stopped talking.”</p><p>When you worked together, Sora explained how hard it was to come to terms for her attraction to women. There were a lot of years where she went out with guys and even lost her virginity to one. The experience wasn't that great for her. She was more interested in fictional guys than real ones, she would pick random guys she was supposedly attracted to, she would get jealous if her female friends had a crush on a guy...it was a lot.</p><p>“In any case, I hope she doesn't take this as an invitation to start coming around,” Kuroo muttered, finally buckling his seatbelt. “You guys are better off on your own. And I'm not saying that because I feel like you haven't changed. I know you have, but I don't trust her.”</p><p>You were relieved to hear it. Although that incident was long gone and you didn't hold any resentment towards Aiko, you couldn't imagine yourself being friends with her again. That ship had sailed. Friendships didn't always pan out in the end, no matter how much time or growth occurred between people.</p><p>“So…aside from this adventure, what else does Tao need you to do?”</p><p>Kuroo pulled out of the parking lot with a sigh. “How good are you with a camera?”</p><p>You ended up sitting together in two reserved seats in the front row of a school play. The auditorium was dark enough that people kept stumbling over each other and apologizing with hurried whispers. You looked at the groups of excited parents who were grinning from ear to ear as they set up their tripods. One of the teachers kept walking around with a NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY sign, shaking it in someone's face when they tried to sneakily set it up.</p><p>“Tao is such a shitty dad, he should be here.”</p><p>“Yeah, but he would probably like...boo at the kids, fall asleep, or get into a drunken fight with another parent.”</p><p>“And his mom nowhere to be found as usual. Flake.”</p><p>You sighed. “I know. But we can cheer him on. I have such a soft spot for him.”</p><p>Despite Souta's sour attitude, he was surprisingly serious when he got up on stage. He didn't sound robotic at all when going through his lines, even though it was a heavy script for someone his age. Still, without so much as a single stumble over his words, he delivered a performance worthy of the title (little) Romeo. It made perfect sense on why he chose this role over all the others. Because the cute-as-a-button Mei was his counterpart as a soft, bouncy Juliet that was clumsy and endearing all at once.</p><p>At one point, Souta did notice you and Kuroo. He didn't react at all. He helped Mei remember her lines. You thought he would be fine all the way through, but once the kiss scene came closer, you could hear his voice start to shake.</p><p>“He's super nervous. He has to kiss his crush,” you told Kuroo. “Look at his face. It's totally red.”</p><p>“Mei has no idea. I think she's as clueless as you were.”</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>Even though Mei was supposed to be in the throes of sleep, she could tell Souta was struggling. She cracked an eye open and whispered something to him. It must have been convincing, because he leaned down and gave her a rather hard kiss on her lips. Her eyes blew wide open, and she had to put her hand on his chest to push him away so she could actually breathe.</p><p>Kuroo put his fingers in his mouth and wolf whistled. The audience erupted into laughter as Souta stood shock still in the limelight, his face smeared with Mei's horrible attempt at stage makeup. Still, he took it in stride and managed to collect himself, giving you a dramatic death performance.</p><p>You weren't surprised when Souta came running up to Kuroo once he was released and unleashed on him like a demon. Kuroo struggled to keep him at bay while his small fists swung at his chest in an attempt to knock the wind out of him. He held Souta far enough away that he couldn’t even land a hit on Kuroo.</p><p>“You jerk! I hate you!”</p><p>“Dude, I was cheering for you!” Kuroo insisted, “you totally got some tongue action. Don't think I didn't see it.”</p><p>“DID NOT!!!”</p><p>You grinned at their interaction. They really were like a pair of squabbling siblings. “Souta, don't mind him. Tetsurou is just jealous because you totally went for it. He never even tried.”</p><p>Souta stopped flailing around. “What?! You never even kissed?! You suck! Coward! You're not allowed to make fun of me anymore!”</p><p>Kuroo looked at a loss. How did the tables get turned on him? He mouthed something vaguely threatening to you. You responded with a giggle. </p><p>“Here you go. Your dad said you wanted these.” You handed him the box of frosted treats. “I thought you didn't like donuts.”</p><p>“I don't. This isn't for me! It's for Mei...duh.” He stuck his tongue out at both of you and scampered along to find her. </p><p>You watched from the distance while Mei excitedly opened up her gift. She snatched a chocolate donut and took a giant chomp of it. She offered Souta the other half. He looked like he would rather die, but he still took it and finished it off.</p><p>“Souta's got game. Unlike a certain someone I know.” You snickered.</p><p>Kuroo smirked at you and it was sinister enough that you did feel a shudder run down your spine. “I'll get you back for that later. Just wait.”</p><p>You stuck around for a little while longer, mostly so Souta and Mei could have some time together before you had to leave. They were so cute. The other parents were quick to whisk their kids out the door to get them a celebratory dinner for all their hard work. </p><p>Tao said he would take care of going out with Souta, so all you had to do was bring him back to the office. By now it was dark outside. The entire ride was spent with you and Souta sitting in the back seat so he could (not-so quietly) ask you about girls. You were more than happy to share your knowledge.</p><p>“You want to know about girls?” Kuroo chuckled, glancing at Souta in the rearview mirror. “Has your dad even had 'the talk' with you yet?”</p><p>“The talk?” Souta parroted. “No. What talk?”</p><p>“Tetsurou, no, we're not doing this.” You reached over and pushed his shoulder lightly. “That's something his dad has to do.”</p><p>“But I wanna know!”</p><p>“See what you did?”</p><p>Kuroo parked the car in the office garage. Tao had several reserved spots for his excessive collection of cars. It didn't surprise you at all.</p><p>You stepped out the door and grabbed Souta's backpack, slinging it over your shoulder. He ran ahead of you and tried to show you some moves he'd been learning in karate class. He was in so many different sports these days and loved every second of it. Kids really did have limitless energy.</p><p>Kuroo opened the door to Tao's office without so much as a flinch. He must've been used to coming in and out. Their relationship wasn't exactly good. They mostly spent their workday getting on each other's nerves. You suspected this was just another way for Kuroo to irritate him. </p><p>“Delivery,” Kuroo called out to make sure your presence was known. “I've got a small fry here for you.”</p><p>“And I see you brought dessert, too,” Tao commented nastily, giving you the eyes. You shuddered. “Where's the stuff?”</p><p>“In the trunk, just like you asked. I saved your receipts.”</p><p>Tao pocketed them without even looking. What you wouldn't give to live a life where money was no object. </p><p>“Sou, how was the play?”</p><p>“Fine,” he responded coolly. He always tried to act more mature whenever he was around his dad. “They recorded it. I want to watch it later.”</p><p>“We'll see. I've still got to buy you dinner. Pick where you want and I'll have Kuroo make a reservation.”</p><p>You sighed in response. There he went again, treating Kuroo like his personal lackey. Kuroo said the job was challenging, but that he knew he could deal with this for now. Tao wasn't going to be able to do this to him forever. Kuroo was showing Tao's superiors how much of an asset he was, even as an undergraduate student. He kept up with his clerical and administrative work on top of acting as a personal assistant. It was a win-win for the organization; they could avoid any more sexual harassment suits.</p><p>You dreaded the moment where Kuroo and Souta were engrossed in their phones searching for restaurants. It made you a prime target. Tao wheeled around his desk and leaned on it. If he was trying to be attractive, he was failing. Miserably.</p><p>“Did you buy yourself anything?”</p><p>“No.” You refused to entertain him. “I'm waiting downstairs.”</p><p>“Aw, c'mon, don't be so cold. Haven't you given any thought to my proposal? A lot of guys like seeing their women get destroyed by someone else.”</p><p>You walked out of the room in a huff. He was disgusting. Sometimes you truly wondered if he said and did these things for shock value. It still made you uncomfortable as hell.</p><p>You sat down in the lobby until Kuroo was ready to go. He shot you an apologetic look from across the room.</p><p>“Hey, sorry about him. What did he say to you?”</p><p>“The usual. Can we just go?”</p><p>You weren't mad at Kuroo. He had nothing to do with his boss's stupid ass mouth. You were relieved that it was the two of you again. You headed out the door and Kuroo held his hand out to you. You took it in yours gently and you slowed your pace once you were a good distance away from the building.</p><p>“By the way, you were totally wrong about me.” Kuroo kept his gaze ahead. He always made sure you could keep up with him. Your steps were measured and purposefully meant to stretch out your journey home. “I did try to make a move on you way before we were teenagers.”</p><p>“No way! Did you really?”</p><p>He laughed under his breath. “Yeah. It was just you and me in the kitchen. We were helping your grandma make mochi and she had to answer the door because a package came. She ended up chatting with the guy for a little while. We were covered in cornstarch and I really, really wanted to kiss you. So I was like, 'Hey, you've got some of it on your nose'. And you said, 'Can you get it off for me?' You closed your eyes, and I was like, 'This is it, dude!' Except when I moved closer to you, some of the cornstarch in your hair fell and you sneezed all over me.”</p><p>You both laughed. “Aww! Poor baby Tetsurou. I'm so sorry, I had no idea. I don't even know what I would've done if you kissed me. I’d probably shove the mochi in your face.”</p><p>“Would've been worth it. Don't you remember how Yakkun got bullied into kissing that older girl and she made fun of him for being bad at it? You were freaked out about messing up your first kiss. I was like, 'We should practice, then'.”</p><p>“Oh no…what did I say?”</p><p>“You saw through it right away. You said practicing still counted as kissing and you didn't want me to be your first kiss.”</p><p>“Ouch!” You couldn't believe how hard you were laughing. “Was I really that mean to you? I don't remember any of this.”</p><p>“You weren't trying to be. I was the one thinking I could outsmart you. That's why I was thrown for a loop when you ended up confessing to me.”</p><p>You bit your lip. “I guess meeting Aiko was a good thing, then. Who knows what would've happened if she hadn't been all over you? I remember being so hurt and angry with you. And then grandma died, so...”</p><p>“Yeah. I still think about her all the time. I know for sure she'd be happy we got together. She always told me she was rooting for me.”</p><p>“She did?”</p><p>Kuroo stopped you before you sloshed through a large puddle and took you around it, instead. “She saw right away why I kept hanging around. It was kind of embarrassing. That sold out book you wanted for your birthday? She bought it and gave it to me so I'd get all the praise. She was really cool.” </p><p>“It's nice that there are still things about her I don't know. If she hadn't insisted I go outside that day, we never would've met. And I don't like to think about a life or a future without you in it.”</p><p>“Me neither, trust me.”</p><p>Although it was late by the time you got home, you were relieved you had some time to spend together. After dinner he went to soak in the bath and you washed his hair for him. Head massages were his favorite and he was exhausted from having to run around all day. He almost fell asleep in the tub and you had to rouse him awake so he wouldn't catch a cold in the lukewarm water.</p><p>He stumbled into your bed and collapsed. A few minutes later he was out like a light. You busied yourself with watching TV and scrolling on your phone before you started to get drowsy, too. You crawled underneath the covers and let out a deep sigh, hoping with that these peaceful days would continue.</p><p>Your eyes snapped open when you felt Kuroo's hand on your shoulder. He was whispering your name sharply and trying to get you to wake up. The clock on the wall said it was the middle of the night and you were not happy about having your sleep disrupted. You shifted in bed and groaned.</p><p>“Hey. Hey, I thought of something.”</p><p>“What?” you mumbled into the pillow. “It's 4 A.M. Why are you awake?”</p><p>“I went to take a piss and then it hit me. Do you remember when I told you I was on my jog and I ended up seeing Aiko get harassed by someone at the cafe she worked at?”</p><p>“Mmm...”</p><p>“Don't fall asleep! Listen. I'll remind you. I was out for a run and I saw some guy in the shop. He was yelling at her because she didn't know his order off the top of her head. He even put his hands on her. Aiko ended up throwing hot water on him so he'd let go of her.”</p><p>“So?”</p><p>“So…that was definitely Tao.” Kuroo started laughing. “I didn't put two and two together. But seeing Aiko today reminded me about the whole thing. He was acting like such an asshole, even back then. Maybe even worse. At least he doesn't get violent with women anymore...as far as I know. I thought I was way off, but then I also remembered that Tao has this weird scar on his chin he refuses to talk about. I think it's a burn he got from the water.”</p><p>You were far too tired to be excited at his detective work. “M'kay...can we talk about this tomorrow?”</p><p>“Alright, fine...” He was silent for a few moments, and then, “I also have this theory that Dobashi was in love with your grandma and is now into GILFs—”</p><p>“TETSUROU.”</p><p>He was already gone by the time you woke up. You trudged to the bathroom and glanced at the sticky note on the mirror. Kuroo liked to leave dumb messages to make you laugh as you got ready for the day since he wasn't here to say them himself.</p><p>
  <em>I keep thinking about Coach Nekomata with a perm because of that weird clown dream I had.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I seriously doubt Kenma's getting enough vegetables in his diet. We might need to go back over and cook/freeze meals for him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Forgot to tell you I had those boots repaired, the heeled ones you like so much. They're in the closet.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I miss you like crazy already.</em>
</p><p>Even though you weren't going to be on camera, you still dressed in something cute and comfortable as you settled down at the computer desk you put in the spare room. Your headset was on. Kenma's image blew up on the screen as he gave you a subdued smile.</p><p>“Ready?”</p><p>“I think so. Please let me know if I'm messing up badly, okay?”</p><p>“You'll be fine.”</p><p>Your heart raced as he went live. Tons of his supporters flooded in and the viewer count rose to numbers you could scarcely believe. You swallowed as Kenma checked his equipment and did his intro.</p><p>“My goal is to beat <em>Dreadnought 3</em> and <em>Dreadnought: Zyme City</em> campaign in time for the release of <em>Dreadnought 4</em>. I'm not playing the original PC games, already beat those a few days ago. One of my friends is on the stream right now. She'll be helping me out so I can focus on the game.”</p><p>You hoped with everything you had that you wouldn't mess this up. “Um...hi. Thanks for having me. I'm really looking forward to this.”</p><p>As soon as your eyes met the chat, you were overwhelmed with custom emojis and messages all in caps. You tried to keep calm.</p><p>Kenma was glancing at the chat in the corner of his screen. “No, we're not dating,” he stated clearly. “You can get it out of your system now.”</p><p>You laughed. “He's out of my league, anyway.”</p><p>You hadn't meant to make Kenma blush, but he did. He tried to pretend like he didn't notice. His fans did immediately. You jumped in so he would have some time to collect himself.</p><p>“Anyway, this stream is going to be a full twenty-four hours and all donations are going to Shine On! Kids, a charity that works with children battling cancer and other serious illnesses. I think the coolest thing about them is that they train hospital facility dogs that work in pediatric wards to keep kids' spirits up. We have a link to the website and a badge you can click to donate directly. All of the proceeds from Kodzuken's merch are going directly to the charity for the next twenty-four hours.”</p><p>While the first couple of hours were shaky and chaotic, you did enjoy yourself quite a bit. Kenma was reserved and quiet in public. Playing games on a platform where he didn't have to socialize in person was perfect for him. He was much more engaged and confident.</p><p>You only had to help him for half the stream. The other half would be taken care of by another popular streamer who would hopefully bring in his own fans. </p><p>“Thanks for having me on, everyone. Have fun!”</p><p>You sighed and shut down your laptop. You didn't know how Kenma could do this thing every month. You probably wouldn’t tell Kuroo about how someone hopped on their tablet and drew ship art of you and Kenma. They didn't even know what you looked like, so they used your profile picture as your head. So weird.</p><p>Kuroo texted you and said he wouldn't be home tonight. Sometimes he stayed up until 3-4 A.M. working on paperwork before he crashed out at his desk. You thought about going to visit him, but you didn't want to interrupt him. </p><p>You did have an idea of how to cheer him up, though. </p><p>You hugged the bag tightly to your bare chest and avoided eye contact with the bathroom mirror. You thought you’d been so brave when you bought it, but now with it in your hands, you weren’t confident you could go through with it. You had plenty of time to either get yourself acclimated or call the entire thing quits. </p><p>With that in mind, you took out the outfit you bought. You held it up to your body and winced. It fit at the store, but what if it didn't look as good as you thought? You'd been so hopped up on adrenaline earlier that you might've convinced yourself it was better than it actually was.</p><p>You stepped into it and pulled the fabric up and over your thighs. You tugged down the top over your chest. Your body twisted to the side as you tried to get an eyeful of your derriere and thighs. Your hands went to your waist and you pushed in the extra flesh to cinch it.</p><p>“I'm home!”</p><p>SHIT!</p><p>You panicked. Your clothes were in your bedroom because you thought you’d have enough time to go back and put them on. You were trapped in the bathroom now! You ran to the door and immediately locked it, pressing your back against the door.</p><p>You heard Kuroo drop his things down near the hallway. He was getting closer.</p><p>“Hey, you in there?”</p><p>You swallowed. “Um...yes. You're home early...”</p><p>“I finished as fast as I could so I could spend some time with you before the weekend's over. I need to take a leak, I'm coming in.”</p><p>“Wait!” You squeezed your eyes tighter. “I-I'm not dressed!”</p><p>“And so what? What the...” The handle jiggled. “Why is the door locked?”</p><p>You couldn't think of anything to say. “Can you bring me my clothes?”</p><p>“Did something happen? Are you alright?” You could hear his voice start to tinge with nervousness. “You need me to—”</p><p>“No, I'm...fine. I'm...I'm going to open the door, but you're not allowed to laugh.” Silence. “Tetsurou! Promise me!”</p><p>“Alright, alright...I won't laugh.”</p><p>You steeled yourself and opened the door, taking your time, letting it drag across the floor as you came into view. The tips of your ears burned. You had an arm crossed over your midriff and avoided eye contact with him. You hadn't felt this exposed since the first time you had sex.</p><p>The silence was killing you. You snuck a peek at his expression and found he was on the verge of cracking up.</p><p>“Stop! I told you not to — UGH!” </p><p>You made a move to slam the door. He tried to stick his foot between it and the frame, thinking it'd stop you. He underestimated how hard you were going to shut it. He yelped in pain as his foot was crushed.</p><p>“I'm not laughing <em>at</em> you,” he wheezed through the discomfort. “I'm laughing because <em>damn</em>.”</p><p>“You're such a liar. I'm returning it.”</p><p>“Wait, wait, don't.” He wedged his entire body in the doorway so you couldn't lock him out. “I'm just surprised, you...I mean, you never...”</p><p>“Because it's embarrassing, okay?” You swallowed hard. “If you were joking before, you should've told me so I wouldn't have wasted my time...”</p><p>“Are you kidding?” He kept grinning at you, as if it was supposed to make you feel any better. “This is like one of the top five hottest things you've ever done for me.”</p><p>“Yeah, right...” You took a step back. There was no use trying to force him out. He was much stronger than you were. “Is this really what you wanted to see?”</p><p>He made a purposeful move to drag his eyes up every sliver of exposed skin. “You mean did I want my girlfriend to surprise me in a red and black cheerleading outfit? Yes. Hell yes.”</p><p>You sighed. “It's just...you know stuff like this is...a lot. I didn't know you had a thing for cheerleaders. They're so fit and pretty.”</p><p>“I never said I was into cheerleaders. What I <em>am</em> into is the thought of you dressed like a cheerleader. That's like...one of my biggest fantasies. High school me would be crazy jealous right now.” He took a cautious step inside. “There's no way I would've been able to play if you wore this on the sidelines.”</p><p>“It doesn't even expose that much...”</p><p>“You wouldn't need to. Look.” He settled behind you. You could feel the warmth of his body press against your back. He was still so lean and toned from his routine workouts. Through the bathroom mirror, you watched as his hand slid across the stretch of bare skin that sat above the waistband of the skirt. “This alone would be enough to get me all hot and bothered. You know, I had these fantasies you would show up in one of these outfits, when everyone else was gone and it was just me in the locker room...”</p><p>You put your hand over his and guided it to your chest. He wasted no time in slipping it underneath the top of the uniform. His hand was a lot colder than you expected. You flinched when he cupped your breast.</p><p>“And then what?”</p><p>He moved his free hand to the front of the skirt. “And then I would...uh...wait...” He drew away from you. “I need to shower.”</p><p>“Oh. You don't want to?”</p><p>“The opposite. I want to <em>so bad</em>. But I've been wearing this stupid suit for like two days and I need to make sure I'm cleaned up. So…sorry. To be continued.”</p><p>“I'm going to our room, then. I guess I'll just...get started on my own.” You walked ahead and noticed his mouth dropped open. “What?”</p><p>“Are you not wearing underwear?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Give me ten minutes. No, five. Seven!” He started tearing his clothes off and almost fell over trying to get his foot out of the leg of his pants.</p><p>He really didn’t have to rush. You would’ve waited for him anyway.</p><p>He didn’t even bother getting dressed when walking into the room. All he had on was that excited grin on his face. You watched him approach you with his eyes already going half-lidded. </p><p>“Damn, it’s even sexier than before now that I can see everything.” He swallowed hard. “So...no underwear still?”</p><p>You plucked the edge of the skirt and lifted it enough for him to get an eyeful. “Easy access for your convenience. Now I want to hear more about these daydreams you’d have. Me, you, and the locker room.”</p><p>He wasted no time in drawing you towards him. His hands went back to roaming along the outfit, marveling at the way the material clung to your skin.</p><p>“I’d be hanging back from practice and the last one to leave. I’d hear the door close, and I’d be calling out thinking it was one of the other team members. But it was you. All decked out in that Nekoma cheerleading outfit...just for me.”</p><p>You were getting a little flustered. You had no idea Kuroo had these kinds of fantasies about you. He joked about it a lot and you assumed it was another one of his exaggerations. </p><p>“You’d kiss me, obviously, and I’d sit down on the bench because I’m losing it. Of course, that just means you’re gonna straddle my lap...”</p><p>You backed him to the edge of the bed in response. He still had that shit-eating grin on his face. You lowered yourself down and trapped his thighs underneath you. He sighed and wrapped his arms around your back. He buried his face in your chest. He was hot and hard, his erection pinned between your body and the plane of his stomach. </p><p>“And is this the part where I just grind against you?” you mused. “That seems pretty in character for you at that age.”</p><p>“If you’re so confident, then show me what’s better than that.”</p><p>He should’ve known better than to challenge you. You shifted your position and lined him up with you. Kuroo barely had a chance to ask you what you were doing before you sank onto his cock. He slid in with such ease that he bottomed out without any resistance.</p><p>“Oh, fuck...” His face turned pink. “I didn’t even need...”</p><p>“What, lube? I know it’s nice to use, but I told you I was getting myself warmed up for you.” You gave an experimental bounce. “So now you have to be quiet, Tetsurou. If we’re in the locker room, you don’t want anyone walking in, do you?”</p><p>His words died on his lips as you started up a rhythm. His hands gravitated toward your hips so he could help lift and drop you down. You squeezed around him and rolled your hips, refusing to give him a second to catch his breath. He was already grunting with every thrust upwards, a bead of sweat running down his glistening skin. You dragged your tongue along the column of his throat and placed a smacking kiss on his mouth to end it.</p><p>You saw his thighs start to quiver. Without any warning, you picked yourself up from him. He shuddered at the cool air.</p><p>“S-shit—”</p><p>After turning yourself around so your back rested against his chest, you wrapped your fingers around him and pushed the dripping head back inside you. He slid back home in one smooth stroke. You braced your hands on his thighs and went back to bouncing on him for all you were worth. </p><p>Kuroo’s left hand went to slide underneath the crop top of the uniform. He rolled your nipple in his fingers and tugged on it gently, swiping across the tip to build your pleasure up. His other dove beneath the pleated skirt and between your legs. He zeroed in on your clit and stroked with his middle finger, drawing circles, and applying just the right amount of pressure for you to tighten up around him.</p><p>“You’re so damn good at this,” he grunted in your ear, his breath hot along the back of your neck. “I could stay inside you forever.”</p><p>He slipped out of you on accident, and you were quick to tuck him back inside you. It happened again seconds later, and you could sense he was getting frustrated. You were so wet and slippery, the angle was awkward, and it didn’t help that his thighs were coated in your slick.</p><p>“And then guess what? We hear someone one come into the gym.”</p><p>“That so?” you breathed, trying once again to line him up so he could bury himself in you. “What do we do?”</p><p>“Only thing we can do.” He chuckled and removed his hands from working all over you. “We’re gonna have to hide.”</p><p>“Well, I can’t fit in the locker, so what’s our best bet?”</p><p>“Easy. Supply closet.” He ran his hands along your waist and patted either side so you would climb off him. “Let’s go.”</p><p>You didn’t think he would actually lead you over to the closet, his eyes narrowed and a lascivious smirk on his face. You backed up inside and tried to be mindful of the numerous rows of clothes behind you. Kuroo reached backwards and slid the door closed until there was just a sliver of light filtering through. </p><p>“I can’t see anything—”</p><p>“Relax.”</p><p>You had no idea he was behind you. Without any warning, he slipped his finger between your folds, his fingers prodding and eventually curling inside of you. You cried out and he clamped a hand over your mouth.</p><p>“And you were the one who said we had to be quiet.” He pulled his fingers out and you could hear him sucking them off. It was one thing to see him do it, but your hearing was much more sensitive being in a pitch-black room. You weren’t going to lie – it did make you even wetter than before.</p><p>You relaxed despite his hand keeping you from speaking coherently. Kuroo guided you over to the wall right next to the door and gave your back a gentle push. You bent at the waist and placed both hands flat on the wall. You were excited and nervous at the same time. Even though you were within the confines of your own place, the scenario he dreamed up was easy to get lost in.</p><p>He flipped your skirt up and grabbed one of your cheeks. You made a noise of protest. He chuckled and guided himself between them, easing inside of you with an agonizing stretch.</p><p>“You alright?” he murmured, pulling his hand away. He always did this when he took control because the last thing he wanted to do was hurt you.</p><p>“Y-yeah…the new angle is, well, you’re so deep…” You grinded down against his lap. “Keep going, please.”</p><p>Kuroo used your hips as leverage and started out with a hard rhythm. His grip was firm and strong, fingers digging into your plush skin with enough force to leave a mark. He pulled you toward him and thrust forward at the same time. You tried your best to keep up with him. The sound of him banging you into the wall, coupled with the <em>schlick</em> between your legs was enough for you to give yourself over to him completely.</p><p>He hammered this spot inside you that had stars sparkling at the edges of your vision. Every time he brushed against it when drawing back, a whimper started in your throat. Your thighs flexed with every rough thrust and your eyes started to water.</p><p>“Haaah—Tetsu...rou...”</p><p>Kuroo was smug at how good he was making you feel, but the angle was starting to make his legs cramp. He tried to adjust his footing so he could comfortably continue. Unfortunately, in the process he switched the angle the slightest bit. The feeling from before dissipated before your very eyes and he noticed.</p><p>“Dammit - I’ll try to find it again.”</p><p>You would give him an ‘A’ for effort because he really did concentrate on searching for it. You hid your disappointment and instead dropped one of your hands between your legs. You wished you were someone who could get off just with penetration. That wasn’t going to happen.</p><p>You felt your orgasm start to build despite the fact that Kuroo’s pace wasn’t as hard or fast. He rolled his hips and the languid strokes made you feel every inch of him as he buried inside of you. </p><p>“I’m not gonna last much longer,” he admitted, panting, “it’s been a while and you’re just so tight—”</p><p>You clamped around him in response, fully intending to squeeze every drop out of him. He groaned and his hips stuttered while he came inside of you. It was always an incredible feeling, knowing you were connected. That throbbing, warm, sticky pressure had you so close…but it wasn’t enough to bring you to completion.</p><p>He pulled out of you and long strands of cum followed. It went tacky as soon as it hit the air and your skin. He huffed your name and took a second to catch his breath.</p><p>“Alright. Now you can finish up on my face.”</p><p>“What?” you whispered sharply. Wait…why were you actually trying to be quiet? “I’m dripping—”</p><p>“I know, but I couldn’t hold out for you, so come here.” He turned you around by your hips and patted your thighs so you would spread them. “I’m not going to leave you hanging.”</p><p>Your back now against the wall, Kuroo’s tongue swiped along your slit, unbothered at the taste of himself. He rolled his tongue around your clit and stuffed two of his fingers inside you. They weren’t as thick as his cock and his technique had to make up for it. He refused to let up his pace, the alternating sensation of his mouth and hands causing you to stifle a moan with the back of your hand.</p><p>His lips wrapped around your clit and he sucked hard. You tangled your fingers in his hair and shoved him further down, refusing to budge, riding out your orgasm on his tongue and fingers.</p><p>“Mmph...” Your chest heaved and your legs went weak. You dropped your hands to your side and tossed your head back to try and catch your breath. Your body was damp from your shared fluids and sweat.</p><p>“Worth it,” Kuroo coughed, spluttering for air. From the limited light you could see him wipe his mouth with the back of his hand. “I kept telling you not to worry. Glad you went for it this time around.”</p><p>You slid down to meet him on the ground and he pushed the door open so your eyes could adjust back to normal. The carpet was prickly against your cum-splattered thighs. You shifted and caught him staring at the uniform, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. You didn’t say a word as you floated down from the high you reached together.</p><p>“So…how long do we have to wait in the closet?” you laughed.</p><p>“Oh, they’d be long gone by now. I don’t fantasize about anything actually interrupting us. That would be lame.”</p><p>“I have to say, it was pretty exciting...” You could see the uniform was stained. “Congrats, you officially ruined my outfit.”</p><p>He encouraged you to sit in his lap and wrapped his arms around as much of you as he could. His body temperature was stifling. “One fantasy down, a million to go.”</p><p>“I'm not going to lie and say I'm not curious about the rest.”</p><p>You exchanged a few sweet kisses, laughing about the entire experience.</p><p>You eventually did manage to hobble out of the closet together so you could get cleaned up. As nice as it would be to keep playing around, you had commitments in the morning. Being an adult sucked.</p><p>You went to slip out of the outfit, and something struck you. “Hey, I came up with a cheer I could've used for you during a game.”</p><p>“Oh, yeah?” He snickered, tugging on a fresh t-shirt. “Let's hear it.”</p><p>“K-U, R-O-O, block 'em captain, let's go go go!”</p><p>He roared with laughter. ”That was probably the laziest cheer I've ever seen.”</p><p>“Hey, I don't have the pom poms! And even if I did, I would feel silly using them.” You giggled. “It's just funny, you've imagined me in these outfits, but honestly, I just liked seeing you in your volleyball uniform.”</p><p>“You're kidding, right?”</p><p>“No, I'm not. It's not my fault red is your color...or that the jersey hung so nice around your shoulders...or how your shorts fit your waist so well...”</p><p>He snorted. “I guess next time we're <em>really</em> getting into character.”</p><p>“If I had to put myself in this outfit, I'm not going to argue. You're not the only one who had thoughts about us at school.”</p><p>“Can't wait to tell the rest of the team that the girl innocently watching from the bleachers was actually having nasty thoughts...”</p><p>“Oh, and what about your boner on the bus when I fell asleep in your lap? I can easily make that public. Don't test me.”</p><p>You relaxed in the afterglow together, on your backs, eyes rolled up toward the ceiling. Kuroo never stayed up for very long after you ended up climbing into bed and tonight was no different. He struggled to keep awake as you ran your fingertips along the palm of his hand.</p><p>“Hey, Tetsurou?”</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p>“I'm glad you were terrible at volleyball as a kid and that you hit me in the face.”</p><p>He chuckled and laced his fingers with yours, giving you a reassuring squeeze. “Yeah, I love you, too.”</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyj4JFSErrw"><b>Aiko's theme song</b></a> in high school. In all seriousness, I had that scene planned for AGES and it's so nice to finally get it out there. I hope it didn't catch too many of y'all off guard, I did add several hints early on.</p><p>Also, as you can probably tell, this fic is winding down. I have a couple more chapters planned and I hope you guys stick around for the rest.</p><p>Thank you as always, so SO much, for your wonderful comments. Have a fantastic week!</p>
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<a name="section0039"><h2>39. Divergence</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You come to the bittersweet realization that life will never be the same from this day forward.</p>
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    <p>"This is so unfair,” you muttered, adjusting the cap to your head. You already had it pinned in place, but you were still worried that it would fall off. "How do you make a graduation gown look that good? Everyone else looks like they're wrapped up in their grandparents' tablecloth. But you? Please. I bet you could walk down the runway and people would be like, 'Oh, so this is the new trend'."</p><p>Kuroo laughed and put his hands on your cap. He wiggled it from side to side to check whether it was as flimsy as you thought it was. "What can I say? I'm a trendsetter."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah. We get it. You're insanely hot.” You beamed up at him despite your sarcasm. </p><p>Your banter was another way for you to quiet your nerves. Today was another big milestone in your lives. After four years of toiling away at your schoolwork, you were moments away from becoming a "real" member of society. You got through college together. You never would've imagined that you would be going to the same place after high school, let alone walking together to grab your diplomas. You were nervous, excited, nauseated and relieved all at once. </p><p>"Just don't think about all our classmates, friends and family watching while you walk across the stage. You'll be fine."</p><p>You huffed. "Tetsurou!!!" You would think that after all these years you'd be used to the teasing. No such luck. Although if anyone could handle his sense of humor, it was you.</p><p>"Hey, at least Yakkun got his flight pushed back to tomorrow."</p><p>You looked away from him. "I don't want to think about that right now."</p><p>"Alright." He cupped your face with a gentle hand and rubbed his thumb under your eye. "You can cry after we get our pictures taken."</p><p>"Sheesh, thanks."</p><p>He bent down and planted a kiss on your forehead. "Just think about this: we'll never have to do homework ever again. Or spend hours listening to teachers drone on. No backpacks to carry around and no student IDs we need to flash just to grab something to eat."</p><p>"Hm, does sound nice.” You shot him a watery smile. "Let's do this."</p><p>Four years ago, you and Kuroo graduated from high school in different classes, on different days, and in different uniforms. You watched each other walk across the auditorium and locked eyes in the crowd to shoot each other secretive smiles. You were younger then. You were less mature. You had no idea what the future held for you, but you just knew in your hearts that your lives together were nowhere near finished.</p><p>Now you were immortalized as part of Keio University's graduating class. Your pictures would be posted on the school website, in photo albums, tucked away in overpriced frames to adorn your families' houses, and even end up on a large wall in the school where people could take a trip through time all the way back to the original graduates. You were part of this school's history and you made it standing at each other's side. Not just as friends or best friends — but as a couple who had been inseparable since the day you met all those years ago.</p><p>Walking across that broad stage was a surreal experience. It didn't feel like that long ago when you did the same at Hanagasuku. You were in a different place now. You no longer lived by yourself. You had a new job opportunity in an area you loved. You were independent, self-sustaining, more confident and still wary of being thrown into the "real" world. The blinding lights hanging overhead followed you like a spotlight as the faces in the crowd became amorphous and a blurry backdrop. You concentrated on your steps and made it to the podium to accept your diploma with a bright smile on your face. You weren't going to let your anxiety or your fear bleed through this moment. Not when Kuroo was there to watch your back.</p><p>Relief spread across your face when you had your ten seconds of fame. You shuffled off to the side and felt the weight of the gown dissipate. Tension eased from your shoulders. You were now aware that your school years were officially behind you. The moment was bittersweet, and you did your best not to give way to the tears bubbling just below the surface. </p><p>Kuroo always made it look easy and today was no different. He strode across the room like it was nothing at all. His boyish grin and that iconic bedhead made him so photogenic and easy to love. It was no wonder that his number of admirers in college never wavered. You spent a lot of your time swallowing jealousy as he was approached by various girls from different courses, majors and clubs, all vying for his attention and pleading for a date. Did you get smug satisfaction when he turned them down and pulled you a little closer as you left? Absolutely.</p><p>He drew you into a hug once the both of you met up again. You kept a firm grip on the diploma but still wrapped your arms around him. He laughed and tried to whisper something in your ear when he nestled his face in the crook of your neck, but the clamor of the students around you drowned it out. You would ask him about it later.</p><p>Afternoon melted into twilight and you were corralled by your families into a large restaurant to celebrate. Kuroo's grandparents and father made it. His grandmother squeezed your hand and fingered the bracelet she and his grandfather picked out for you as a graduation gift. Kuroo's father was busy doing his best to embarrass his son at the table. Your parents were eagerly ordering drinks for everyone. You declined and they insisted.</p><p>"You don't have to drink it if you don't want to. We can get you some water instead." Kuroo had his hand curled around the glass full of sake. He didn't mind alcohol so much.</p><p>"It's okay. It's just one night. I'll be a good sport."</p><p>"Cheers!" your mom cried, as you all reached across the table to clack your glasses together. </p><p>You brought it to your lips and downed it all in one go. Better to do it now rather than nurse it all night and prolong the terrible taste.</p><p>"Hold on a second, did you just take that whole shot?" Kuroo grinned at you. "You want another?"</p><p>"No.” You couldn't tell him that you felt the alcohol going down and already start to work on you. Your tolerance was terrible given how much you avoided the stuff. "Please don't buy me any more drinks. I don't want to wake up with a hangover."</p><p>"I know just the remedy for that." His dad shot you a smile. It was bait.</p><p>"I'll think about it, but I really don't want anything else for now."</p><p>You ordered appetizers so you weren't drinking on empty stomachs. Kuroo made you a plate of your favorites from the table and you made short work of them.</p><p>"Kenma and his parents are on their way. There was an accident near Keio, I guess." Kuroo locked his phone after reading through the text. "Any word from Yakkun yet?"</p><p>You stared at your own screen and swiped through with a shake of your head. "Keiji said he would try to stop by but that he's stuck at work. The coworker supposed to take over for him just went to the hospital because his wife's in labor. Yukie is on that cruise for foodies that her parents got her as a graduation present. Kaori is at her boyfriend's birthday party. Minoru is busy coaching one of his former students for this strongman competition…whatever that means. Kou said he was on his way, but he would be late because he has practice."</p><p>"Yeah, he would be the one to come. You know he wouldn't miss it." Kuroo chuckled.</p><p>Seeing Kenma was always so much fun, and tonight was no different. Your eyes lit up when he froze at the entryway of the private room you had. He probably didn't think that so many people would be anticipating his arrival. He inclined his neck and let his hair create a curtain over his face as he slunk over to where you and Kuroo were.</p><p>"Glad you're alright, man." Kuroo slapped his back. "When you said there was an accident, for a second I thought you might've gotten caught up in it."</p><p>"No, no one was hurt or anything." He lifted his head and looked both of you over. "Congratulations. I knew you guys would do it."</p><p>"Thanks, Kenma.” You were overwhelmed as the reality sank in. "Can I hug you?"</p><p>"Sure."</p><p>After you got it out of your system, Kuroo took him to the table and attempted to persuade him into grabbing a drink. Kenma went for some juice, instead. You didn't blame him. Kuroo was definitely up to something and would've used Kenma's drunk actions as blackmail. All three of you chatted and caught up with each other.</p><p>"So how're things going? You still on track to graduate, too?"</p><p>"Yeah. Classes are okay. The streams are generating enough revenue for me to continue investing. I'm starting to look for an office space we can use to file the legal paperwork for Bouncing Ball Corp." He turned towards you. "Are you sure you don't want to work for me? We could do streams together, have you test games, or you could help write for the blog."</p><p>You were flattered. "I would love to, but you know the job I landed is like a dream. Shueisha is ridiculously hard to work for, but I'll be an assistant to one of their top-selling authors and I couldn't be happier. Plus, they want me to submit a short story for one of their anthologies. I really hope someday I can publish a full-length book through them."</p><p>Kenma nodded and couldn't keep the warm smile from his face. "Worried about the guys there? I've heard they can be hard to work with since they do a lot of male-oriented manga."</p><p>"I think I'll be okay. I've grown up around a lot of guys. And I'm sure a ton of them will have some kind of power trip and try to cut me down, but honestly, being around Tetsurou's boss thickened my skin a little bit."</p><p>With a light chuckle, Kenma turned toward Kuroo. "Aren't you worried she might be hounded by those guys? Some of them are shut-ins and pretty desperate for a date."</p><p>"That's why I'm having lunch with her on her first day," Kuroo grinned ferally. "Making sure all of those guys know their place. They can look — respectfully — but they don't have a chance."</p><p>"You guys are so dumb. The lit department has a lot more women, I'll be fine."</p><p>"Didn't you learn anything from high school?" Kuroo groaned. "Kenma, back me up here."</p><p>About ten minutes later, Yaku walked through the door with his parents. They apologized profusely about how late they were, though they were well-received by everyone else. Yaku approached the table and barely said a word before you jumped up.</p><p>"Sit next to me!"</p><p>He chuckled and did so. You grabbed the pitcher of beer from the middle of the table and poured him a tall glass. He hesitated but decided to put the frothy rim to his lips and take a long drink.</p><p>"Thanks, I needed that. I've been stressed all day."</p><p>"I bet. Do you have everything you need?"</p><p>"Yes." His eyes twinkled. "Hey, usually I'm the one giving you this lecture."</p><p>"Well, I'm worried about you. It's not…I mean, I…” You unlocked your phone and pulled up the notes app. "Clothes: shoes, socks, t-shirts, shorts, pants, JACKETS…you have to buy more jackets, I don't care what anyone else says…you said the thermals I got you came in last weekend, mittens, scarves, hats…"</p><p>"By the time he puts all that on, we can roll him through the streets," Kuroo piped up. He had a glass in his hand and the dusting on his cheeks said he was feeling pleasantly tipsy.</p><p>You snatched it before he could blink and drank the rest of it. </p><p>"Hey, you sure that's a good idea?"</p><p>You ignored him and faced your oldest friend with a stern look on your face. "Morisuke, you're my best friend and you always will be. I'm going to miss you so much and I don't know how I'm going to get through not being able to call you up or hang out whatever I want to. But I don't want you to stick around here when you've always wanted to go overseas. Playing for Russia is a huge deal, it's the one of the top countries in the world for volleyball, and they wanted you, and…” You hiccupped. "I know you're going to be amazing. No one plays the position like you do. You're family to me and I want you to know that I'm going to miss you. I think I said that already. But it's important because you've always been there for me, and you're like a brother to me, and…and no matter what happens, even if we grow apart and we stop talking and you find a hot chick to settle down with, you're always going to be part of my life. No one can ever take your place."</p><p>Yaku reached over and forced a tall glass into your hand. "You should drink this."</p><p>You took a sip and realized it was water. "I'm being serious!" you cried as the lump in your throat grew.</p><p>"I know you are, but you don't have to worry about any of that. Like you said, we're <em>family</em>. I'll always make time for you. We can still text and video chat. This is revenge for ditching me for a whole year in high school, so you'll just have to deal with it."</p><p>You slumped over in your chair so you could put your full body weight on him. Yaku gave Kuroo a look of alarm as you began sobbing into his shoulder. He rubbed your back up and down and sighed.</p><p>"See what you did, genius? This is why you don't give her drinks."</p><p>Kuroo scoffed. "It's not my fault she grabbed mine."</p><p>"Well, keep it away from her. I don't want her getting sick."</p><p>"Sure thing, <em>Mom.</em>"</p><p>You pulled back and sniffled. "Sorry."</p><p>Yaku handed you a tissue from his pocket. "I won't be around all the time to make you stop crying. You're the strongest you've ever been. I wouldn't feel right leaving unless I was sure you would be okay without me."</p><p>"I know…"</p><p>He pulled you into a warm hug, which you returned with gusto. You never thought you would ever have to let him go. Yaku had been the type of person who put up with you even when you were being difficult and lashed out. He kept you company when at times you felt like there was no one else around who cared about you. He made sure you weren't ever lonely and never once faltered when it came to maintaining your friendship.</p><p>"Love you, Morisuke…"</p><p>"You know I love you, too."</p><p>"I don't know if I'm supposed to feel jealous or not," Kuroo muttered. Kenma rolled his eyes in response.</p><p>Time ticked on. Your tears dried and you were a little woozy from the alcohol. Yaku and Kuroo were playing keep-away with you. It wasn't your fault that the booze made it easier to emote; you had so much you wanted to say and the only real way to become disinhibited enough was to drink a little bit.</p><p>"Hey man, glad you could make it." Kuroo greeted Bokuto at the door and the two of them high-fived. You watched him lean in and say something to him and Bokuto got an incredibly serious look on his face.</p><p>Bokuto sank down in the closest seat to you. "So Yakkun's leaving tomorrow, huh?!" he all but shouted. "I bet you're super sad about it!"</p><p>Kenma was clearly annoyed and his face wrenched up.</p><p>"DUDE," Kuroo hissed. "What did I JUST tell you?"</p><p>"If she needs a good cry, then she should cry!" Bokuto argued. "You can cry in my chest, too!"</p><p>"You little…"</p><p>You blamed the sake. You walked over to Bokuto's chair and ended up burying yourself in his arms for comfort. "He's leaving forever and I'll never see his face again. Kou, you won't leave, will you?"</p><p>"God, I had no idea she was such a needy drunk." Yaku pinched the bridge of his nose. "I need you to lock up all the liquor in the house when you get home. I don't want this to become a habit."</p><p>"Dude, trust me, it's already in the works." </p><p>Bokuto was happy to receive a cuddle, but your question threw him for a loop. "Well, actually, I have some really, really good news! I'm going to start playing the MSBY Black Jackals! And well, they're based out of Osaka, so I'll be moving there in a few weeks!"</p><p>You tore yourself away from him. "KOU!!!"</p><p>"I-I thought you'd be happy for me," he stammered. "You always said you wanted me to play for a Division 1 team!"</p><p>"And you couldn't play for FC TOKYO?” You rubbed your eyes. "You're dead to me!"</p><p>"NOOO!" Bokuto cried, his eyes already starting to water. "Don't say that!"</p><p>"Bokuto Koutarou is…dead to me,” you repeated with as much vitriol as you could muster without tripping over your tongue. You struggled to your feet and spread your arms out to keep balanced. "You…you and Morisuke are gonna just leave then, huh? I-I don't need either of you!"</p><p>"Okay, maybe I misjudged what kind of person she is when she drinks," Yaku coughed. "Hey, calm down. You should be glad Bokuto got into such a prestigious team. You said so yourself that you knew he deserved better."</p><p>"So what?" you retorted. "I'll never see either of you again after this! You hate me!"</p><p>Kuroo grabbed you before you could trip and fall flat on your face. "Hey, let's get some air."</p><p>"Don't drop me!"</p><p>"Well, don't put your full weight down! Bokuto, give me a hand?"</p><p>Bokuto was still on the verge of tears. Through his sniffling and pleading for you to reconsider, he walked over and scooped you up off the floor. You went limp in his powerful grip.</p><p>"Stupid…Minoru should've never bulked you up…" you mumbled. "I don't like being hauled around, it makes me feel…weird…"</p><p>Kuroo was trying so hard not to laugh. "Alright, alright. Let's take a second and calm down."</p><p>They sat you down at a table behind the bar. It rained earlier and the majority of people were drinking and eating inside. A few stragglers were already there when you showed up, though they didn't even look your way. There were several empty tables between you which gave you some privacy. </p><p>Kuroo handed you a glass of water that Kenma fetched for you. "Here. Drink this. You really have to stop sneaking drinks, it's not gonna do you any good."</p><p>You frowned. "Everyone's laughing, anyway. Might as well give them a show. Kou's moving to Osaka, of all places. Morisuke will be in Russia. And even though Kaori and Yukie are staying in Tokyo, I see them less and less. I can't imagine how much harder it'll be when we all start working full time. I think the last time I saw Minoru in person was three months ago. I catch him on TV more than I do anything else. Keiji still has a year left. Kenma won't move to be closer to us and I don't want to beg him and make him feel weird about it. Everyone is going in all these different directions and it's changing so fast. After high school we kept in touch, it was so easy, but now I feel like this is just the beginning of the end."</p><p>Kuroo wrapped an arm around your shoulder and beckoned you to snuggle in closer to his chest. "I think you're just scared. High school graduation was a big deal, but we all knew we were gonna live in the area and stick around each other. But we've got dreams and plans that we can't achieve by holding ourselves back. That's part of growing up, I guess. And I know it's hard, being away from everyone all the time, but when we do meet up, it's always the same. Like we're back in high school all over again. Except this time I'm way hotter because I age like fine wine."</p><p>You wished he didn't look so tender right now, otherwise you would've shot him a nasty scowl.</p><p>"I think friendships need more effort when you get older. We're not around each other constantly, so we've gotta work on it. But get this: if two people really care about their friendship, then they'll make the effort to stick through it. And while there's nothing wrong with us becoming different people and having less in common, we're always gonna have those memories. And they'll always be part of who we are, even if they know it or not."</p><p>You curled up a little more. "But what if life gets too hectic, and we lose touch, or…"</p><p>"Life is gonna be hectic. I guarantee there will be some nights where you're so tired you won't feel like calling up Yakkun to chat about your day. And that's alright. We'll take it one day at a time and be open with everyone about how we feel. If you miss them, tell them. And don't just say you're okay and then feel like you're being left out."</p><p>"I might need to start drinking to do that."</p><p>"Uh, no. You're officially cut off. For life." He planted a kiss on the crown of your head. "Now we should probably go back inside and congratulate Bokuto. He'll throw a tantrum if he thinks you were being serious about hating him."</p><p>"Mm…fine."</p><p>You entered the restaurant and found that everyone's parents were getting ready to leave.</p><p>"Taking off?" Kuroo asked them. "It is kinda late for you old timers."</p><p>As much as you would've loved seeing him and his dad roast each other, you instead went to say goodbye to your parents. They were buzzed, full, and had a great time. It was sad to see them go, but they did have to head back home. Kenma's mom and dad volunteered to drive them home by splitting up and taking two cars. It worked out in the end.</p><p>"I'll stick around for a little while longer, don't worry." Yaku sighed. "Someone has to make sure you get home in one piece."</p><p>Bokuto nursed a beer while you were gone. He still looked visibly upset, which you could tell by his flattened hair. When he saw you approach, he stood up with so much force that his knees nearly knocked the table over.</p><p>"I'm sorry—"</p><p>"Kou. You don't have to apologize,” you blurted. "I'm sorry I freaked out. I'm a little drunk. But not too drunk. Anyways, I'm very, very, VERY happy for you. I know going pro was always in your future. You've worked super hard. Division 1 is no joke. They couldn't have picked a better player than you, and you'll always be the number one ace in my heart."</p><p>He put on a wobbly smile and tears streamed down his face. Bokuto bent down to grab you in a crushing hug. You let him do so even though it felt like your lungs were being punctured by your own ribs. Bokuto rambled that he was going to miss you so much and he would definitely score you tickets to his first big game of the season. You were looking forward to it.</p><p>You watched the guys relax and take some shots together, sans Kenma. He was content to watch them act like fools. Kuroo was purposefully trying to get Yaku drunk enough that he would throw up. Yaku insisted that just because he was small didn't mean he couldn't keep up with the other two. You almost felt sorry for him. There was no way he could ever compete with someone like Bokuto. Even Kuroo knew his limits and was caught watering down his drink so he could keep up.</p><p>You fired a message off to the family group chat (Kuroo's dad and grandparents included) to make sure everyone got home safe. The screen flashed as a video call request came in.</p><p>You answered it immediately when you saw the name. "Kaori!"</p><p>"I finally got away!" she exclaimed. "I'm in the bathroom right now. It's so loud out there! Oh, congratulations!!! I'm so sorry I missed the ceremony. It's awful. But…" She winked at you and another screen popped up as Yukie smiled lazily at the camera. "Yukie has service since she's at a port right now! We both wanted to let you know we love and miss you sooo much!"</p><p>"Aw, you guys are awesome.” You felt like you were on the verge of crying again. "I can't wait to see you."</p><p>"You haven't forgotten about our plans this summer, have you? We're going back to the cottages in Okinawa and you can't stop us! Our boyfriends can have a playdate or something. Yukie, have you met any studs on your trip yet?"</p><p>She shrugged. "I did get in pretty well with one of the chefs."</p><p>"I am NOT surprised! Ugh, you're so predictable! You'd better sneak a pic of him, we need to judge on whether he's cute enough for you!"</p><p>Talking with them always brought a huge grin on your face. You spent as much time as you could before someone pounded on the bathroom door. Kaori had to end the call, and Yukie was about to go on a quick tour, so you had to say your goodbyes.</p><p>"Excuse me, ma'am?"</p><p>You glanced up and saw one of the waitresses stride over with a small vase filled with freshly blooming flowers. </p><p>"Wha…who's this from?” You set it on the table and plucked the card from the plastic stand. </p><p>
  <em>Congratulations. Sorry I couldn't be there, but we'll see each other soon. —Keiji</em>
</p><p>"They're from Keiji!" you exclaimed as the guys looked over. "He's so sweet. I have to text him."</p><p>"What kind of flower shop delivers this late at night? And on such short notice?" Yaku frowned and took a long look at his watch. </p><p>Kuroo grinned. "I just recommended a place where I knew he'd be able to get a really nice arrangement. They're usually open late and I've spent a lot of time helping the owner out. She's my boss's old piano teacher."</p><p>"Tao took piano lessons as a kid? I can't imagine him doing anything artistic."</p><p>"I know, right? She's like the only lady who keeps him in line."</p><p>Kuroo, Bokuto, Kenma and Yaku settled down as the night continued. You weren't too bored because you liked observing them. </p><p>Kuroo was a lively drunk. He constantly cracked jokes, even more so than usual, and couldn't stop laughing. He often complained the next day about his cheeks getting sore from smiling so hard. He reminisced on a bunch of fun memories from high school. </p><p>"…when Lev first started at Nekoma and he would hit his head going through every single doorway. No wonder he was so bad at volleyball. Yakkun, you need a refill? I'm buying. You guys remember that kabob stand near the station? I'm convinced that owner was ex-yakuza. He was missing his pinky."</p><p>You snickered. "You don't think he could've just had an accident when he was cooking?"</p><p>"I dunno, that look in his eyes, plus he was so formal when he was talkin'."</p><p>One would think Yaku would be unhinged and angrier, ready to pick a fight with anyone who looked his way. In reality, he was giving compliments out like nobody's business. No one took him for the sentimental type since he was usually pretty serious. But with his guard down, he was proudly hashing out all kinds of words of praise to his friends.</p><p>"Kuroo, you've always been cool and you were the best captain we could've had. You're a good friend and there's no one I trust more with her. Bokuto, you're the most kindhearted person I know. The Jackals don't deserve you, but you're going to bring them to the top. Kenma, I've never met anyone smarter than you are, you're set to do big things. It was amazing playing with you, and I never thought you looked like Sadako, Tora was just an ass.”</p><p>Kenma was much more talkative. The booze had his mouth running. He was usually painfully shy and reserved. The alcohol kicked in and he was engaged, a little forceful, and not afraid to stand his ground. He dominated the conversation for the most part. He would talk your ear off for hours if you let him.</p><p>“You could always write a romance novel. Maybe you can base it off you and Kuroo. But I think people would know right away and it would be a little awkward when people are criticizing the relationship between the characters when they’re based on us. I guess you could try fantasy. I heard it’s a difficult genre to write for, aside from sci-fi.”</p><p>Bokuto was…well…</p><p>"Kou, I really have to use the bathroom."</p><p>"Do not. You just want to leave."</p><p>Bokuto tightened his arms around your stomach and rested his forehead on your shoulder. He snatched you when you were walking by and flung himself around you like a snake coiling around its prey. While his lap was admittedly comfortable and his body was large enough to accommodate your size, you found it hard to breathe. It didn't help that the others had absolutely no problem with him treating you like a life-sized stress ball.</p><p>"You want to borrow her for a day or two in Osaka?" Kuroo joked. "Although I have to warn you, she farts a lot in her sleep."</p><p>"I do not! Tetsurou is projecting!"</p><p>"Who're you gonna believe, Bokuto? Me, or the queen of flatulence?"</p><p>"You're such an ass." For that comment, you gave yourself over to Bokuto's cuddling. "Woooow, he's sooo warm. You're a great hugger, Kou! Maybe I should kick Tetsurou out of my bed and use you as my human body pillow instead."</p><p>Kuroo choked on his drink and a large mouthful of it ran down his shirt. "Hey," he sputtered, "don't joke about that."</p><p>"Who's joking?” You stuck your tongue out at him. "Kou's like a giant teddy bear. I consider you a downgrade."</p><p>The guys eventually had their fill. You and Yaku walked out to the front of the bar. Bokuto and Kuroo were being goofy and showing the world that two humans could survive with one shared brain cell as Kenma watched them in amusement.</p><p>"Tetsurou, I'm going to stay at Morisuke's tonight."</p><p>"Huh?" His mood dropped instantly. "Why?"</p><p>"He's leaving tomorrow and I want to spend as much of the day with him as possible. But I'll go back home with you at the airport.” You planted a kiss on his cheek. "Kenma said he would stay over at our place. Are you sure, Kenma? A lot of our stuff is in boxes right now."</p><p>He shrugged. "I'll sleep on the couch. I don't need a blanket, I have my jacket."</p><p>Kuroo still wasn't convinced. You could tell from his conflicted expression that there was something else going on.</p><p>"It's graduation night and you don't wanna spend it with me?" he asked, voice small. Oh, yeah, he was still definitely drunk.</p><p>"Don't give me those eyes. And don't do it either, Kou.” You stepped away from all three of them. "You three can chill. Grab some more beer at the corner store. Watch terrible action movies. Try and fail to team up and beat Kenma in Smash."</p><p>"Well why can't he stay over, too?" Kuroo pointed out. "It's not like we can't take him to the airport."</p><p>"All his stuff is at his parents' place. I'm going to help him make sure he has everything before he goes.” You shot him an apologetic look and placed a hand on his chest. "I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you. But this is important to me."</p><p>"Alright…" He gave your hand a squeeze. As you separated, he kept his hand locked in yours until the very last moment. You’d never seen him make such a dejected face before. Bokuto was usually the one with puppy-dog eyes.</p><p>You and Kuroo had been separated before, it wasn't like you were glued to the hip. You were used to sleeping by yourself at least once or twice a week because of his job. It was a different story for him, though. He hated staying at the office and slept like shit when he had to. As much as he would like to make a convincing argument, he knew it wasn't the time or place.</p><p>"See you guys at the airport. Bye!"</p><p>Spending time with Yaku in his childhood home was bittersweet. You remembered growing up next door to this boy and truly believing in your heart that nothing would ever separate you. You made silly promises growing up about how you would always be there for each other. You had no idea that it would be so difficult to keep. You took solace knowing that both of you were committed to making it come true.</p><p>He said it was weird that you wanted to stay in his room, especially because you insisted that you could sleep in the same bed. What was the issue? You did it at nearly every sleepover you had up until you started going through puberty. Now you were older and better able to control yourselves, especially because you didn't see each other that way. You eventually backed off since he got embarrassed. Instead, you let him have the bed and you tugged out a giant pile of soft blankets to collapse on.</p><p>"Will you send me souvenirs?"</p><p>"Of course I will."</p><p>"If you ever get homesick, you can just text me. I'll answer it as soon as I can. You did the same for me when I was in America."</p><p>"Maybe you can come and visit during a break or something. And yes, you can bring Kuroo along."</p><p>Yaku waved at you on the other side of the security checkpoint. His suitcases were checked in and already being loaded into the plane on the other side of the terminal. He dressed comfortably as you suggested. His excited, bright smile was embedded in your heart. You waited until he rounded the corner and started on his journey before bursting into tears.</p><p>Two weeks later, Bokuto hugged you so hard that he lifted you off the ground, if only by a smidge. His voice wavered as he promised he would try to visit in the off season. His belongings were loaded in the back of his new teammate (and roommate's) car. He would be staying in a shared apartment building for the time being. You locked your hands around his broad back and apologized when you pulled back and realized you left tear stains on his shirt.</p><p>You and Kuroo didn't have time to mourn very much. You had your own move to worry about.</p><p>"Where do you want this?"</p><p>You peered at the giant label done in permanent marker. "Um…the kitchen."</p><p>He grunted and made his way through the room, biceps straining as he hauled your belongings into the new space. You felt a little strange just standing around and directing traffic. You knew this was their job and it was silly of you to offer to help. You darted to the kitchen counter and grabbed an ice-cold water bottle.</p><p>"Are you thirsty? It's really hot out there."</p><p>He rubbed the sweat from his forehead on the back of his arm, tipping his hat back. "Thanks, ma'am." He pried the cap off and took several long drinks while still eyeing you down. "So, you new to the area?"</p><p>"Not to Tokyo, but yes to Shibuya. It's a really, really nice area."</p><p>"You come here for work?"</p><p>"I actually work in Chiyoda so I have to commute. My boyfriend works around here. We tried to find something in the middle, but nothing really caught our eye."</p><p>"He must be pretty important to afford a place like this." He glanced at the spacious apartment space. "Thanks for the drink. Gotta get back to work. Let me know if any of these boxes need to go somewhere else, I'll drag it down the hall for ya."</p><p>"Thank you. There's more water here in case you need it."</p><p>You sighed inwardly. Kuroo wasn't the only breadwinner in the house. It was kind of a dickish move for him to assume that he was the one paying for everything. It took four years of careful saving and long hours at work to make sure you were comfortable enough to move here. You tried not to take it too personally.</p><p>"Hey, how're things going?" Kuroo breezed through the front door, sharp eyes glancing around at the progress already made. "Any of these guys give you any trouble?"</p><p>"No, they're nice enough, I guess.” You greeted him with a kiss. "It's too bad we didn't have a big move-in party like we did after high school. But I wouldn't want any of our parents risking a back injury trying to load everything off the truck. And we're missing our powerhouse duo."</p><p>"Tell me about it." He groaned and flopped onto the couch. "Dobashi say anything about the apartment?"</p><p>"No, he was happy with how clean it was. He better be. I was on my hands and knees scrubbing the shit out of those baseboards." It was a relief to see him. "Are you sure you can take time away from work like this? Tao already told you that he wasn't going to give you any time off to help me unpack."</p><p>Kuroo turned to you with a grin. "Hey, I want you to come with me to the office after these guys leave."</p><p>"Um…okay?” You weren't sure what this had to do with anything. That and he thought he'd skillfully avoided your question. You knew better. </p><p>The empty room was soon filled with cardboard boxes of every shape and size. Strange to think that the evidence of your lives was all squared away so neatly. You weren't looking forward to unpacking everything and putting away all the kitchen supplies, hanging up the decorations, and getting your phone, internet and cable all set up. What a damn hassle. </p><p>"That's all of it." The mover from before approached Kuroo and ignored you entirely. "I need you to sign off on this paperwork, then we'll be outta your hair."</p><p>You took the pen he offered and scribbled your signature before the mover could think twice. "Thank you very much, sir."</p><p>He left the room and a sigh of relief left your lips. Weirdo. You locked the door behind him with the automated system. What an upgrade from the various chain locks you had to use when you were in college. </p><p>"Welcome home." Kuroo stood in the middle of the room with his arms spread and a giddy look on his face. "Our new love nest."</p><p>"Ew, don't call it that.” You laughed despite yourself and approached the first box you could find. "Kaori said she could stop by this weekend to help if we needed it."</p><p>"Yeah, right. You two are just gonna go through all of the old pictures."</p><p>You gazed around the room and felt pride swell in the center of your best. You and Kuroo signed the lease on this apartment together. Rent wasn't terrible with your combined incomes. You were both already employed fresh out of graduation, which was absolutely unheard of in America. Your friends there told you as much. You were lucky enough to have connections in the city from various people, as was Kuroo. </p><p>Your new apartment was on the seventh floor of the building. It had a master bedroom and a guest bedroom, unlike the equally sized rooms back at Dobashi's place. Each room had its own bathroom. The kitchen had an island with enough space for a couple of chairs. The living room was spacious and featured a large picture window with a breathtaking view of the streets and the city skyline. The patio wasn't held together with a flimsy railing that you could topple over with a little bit of good-natured flirting. Instead, it was a well-designed space that was perfect for placing a few pieces of outdoor furniture to spend quiet nights sipping away at drinks. Even better was that you didn't have to be wary of your neighbors being able to look right over at you. The walls kept you separate and your lives private.</p><p>The layout of the apartment was so much more open than Dobashi's place. His had a unique charm to it, as the building was near historic and filled with lively characters from generations past. You didn't have vines creeping along the walls or the scent of freshly burning incense every morning. You didn't hear the telltale song of the elementary kids as they made their way to school. You were in the city itself. It was alive and willing to make a meal out of you if you weren't careful.</p><p>"Is Tao making you babysit again?"</p><p>Kuroo held the door open for you as you exited the lobby of the apartment building. You were enraptured with the sights and sounds laid in front of you. It was still strange to think this was where you lived now. People who roamed the streets were fashionable, powerful and took no bullshit. You supposed that fit Kuroo more so than you.</p><p>"Nah. You'll see."</p><p>You’d been in and out of the JVA main building so much that the receptionist didn't even blink when she saw you waltz in with Kuroo. She merely waved and continued with her conversation on the phone. You wondered how much longer she'd have to stay tonight. Office drones had it tough.</p><p>Kuroo had your hand and refused to let go, even when you boarded the elevator and had to share it with a stranger. He was so used to showing open affection that it didn't faze him. You still got slightly embarrassed, especially because it was an older guy. He got off on a floor before yours, so you were thankfully alone for the remainder of the trip.</p><p>You trailed down the hallway together. You braced yourself for the inevitable leering that Tao would subject you to. Kuroo turned the doorknob and let himself inside, strolling through without any care in the world.</p><p>You stepped inside and peered around. "Hey, Tao isn't in here."</p><p>"He's not. He got fired."</p><p>You gaped. "What?"</p><p>Kuroo grinned at you and gestured to the décor, or lack thereof. "Didn't you notice? All his stuff's gone."</p><p>You were floored, only because it seemed like an impossible task. "I thought you said they put up with him because he was the best around."</p><p>"Oh, he was. Until <em>I</em> came." </p><p>Kuroo chuckled and made his way over to the massive windowpane, pressing the button near the side. The blinds opened and gave you a view of the city. With darkness rolling in, the neon lights, billboards and throngs of people were on full display.</p><p>"Took me what, two years to convince them I would be a better replacement? I busted my ass and did his job <em>for</em> him. Remember how I'd complain about how he'd throw all these assignments at me? And then present it to everyone else with his name on it? Well, I documented all of that."</p><p>Kuroo's face was bathed in a combination of moonlight and the electric glow from down below. "All of the so-called business expenses he wrote off in wining and dining his flavor of the month? I took that down, too. I made sure to get evidence of all his mistakes and how many messes I had to clean up. For the past two years they thanked Tao for his improved work ethic. They just needed help understanding that I was the driving force behind his success, and I wasn't cool with being on the sidelines anymore."</p><p>He had this air of danger around him now. He was sharp, cunning and mischievous, as he'd always been. You should've known he would make it in the business world without any worry.</p><p>"So…what happened?"</p><p>"They had no choice but to look over everything. They already had their suspicions, and it's not like he was well-loved by the company. He'd been bullying everyone since the day he was given the position. A few people were happy to take my side."</p><p>You could picture it: Kuroo stepping forward with that intimidating grin and letting the evidence speak for itself. His coworkers and bosses would've been baffled that this fresh college graduate was ruthless enough to take down his mentor without batting an eye. Kuroo played the fool pretty well when it came to Tao. He made him think he was a pushover and would do anything to make the cut. In reality, he spent his years plotting and constructing a well thought out plan to eradicate him from the organization entirely.</p><p>"And then?"</p><p>"Then they came in when he was getting sucked off under his desk," Kuroo laughed, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I'll never forget his face. Or hers. He was trying to buckle his pants back up as she ran out of the room and left her heels behind. He thought he could laugh it off, but the smiles on their faces wasn't because they were playing along anymore."</p><p>You swallowed hard. "So they fired him on the spot?"</p><p>"Sure did. I've never seen his face fall harder. He looked over at me and he knew right away what the hell it was about. First thing he said wasn't 'why'. It was 'I should've known you were serious, Kuroo'."</p><p>You wracked your brain for what he meant. "You mean…?"</p><p>"Remember when he gave me the job? I told him I'd take his throne. He must've thought it was just some cocky gibe so I'd get in good graces with him. I meant every word of it."</p><p>Your gut twisted. Tao was notoriously violent and had connections far beyond this organization. "What about Tao? Aren't you worried he'll try to get back at you?"</p><p>He shook his head. "It was weird. He actually seemed like…he was <em>proud</em> of me. Maybe he thought he'd turned me into someone as shitty as he was. It wasn't like that. I wanted him to feel as helpless and small as all the people he stepped on just to get here. Someone like him doesn't deserve to decide the future of these volleyball players. I want to be the kind of guy who creates opportunities, not ends them."</p><p>You could feel your heart flutter at his words. He was being open and sincere right now. "You're perfect for this job, Tetsurou. It needs someone who loves the sport and its players. I remember you told me about how Coach Nekomata lowered the net for you so you could start somewhere. You're giving these guys the best shot at reaching their full potential. I mean it."</p><p>"Thanks." He glanced at you over his shoulder and a tender smile crossed his face. "I knew you'd understand. Although, I gotta say, it was pretty damn rewarding seeing Tao escorted out of the building."</p><p>"Any idea what he'll do now?” You thought about his son Souta and how you would now likely never see him again. That did leave an emptiness in your heart. You'd grown so close to the kid ever since Kuroo was first hired. He was like the annoying little brother neither of you had.</p><p>"He's got a lot of other businesses around. He won't be hurting for cash, that's for sure. He rested on his laurels here because no one had the balls to teach him a lesson. I just hope what I did gives him a little bit of a wakeup call."</p><p>You took a thorough look around the room. Without all of Tao's excessive display of wealth, it brought on a whole new vibe. It was spacious. Despite being empty now, that just meant that it held a wealth of opportunities. Kuroo would breathe new life into this place and make it his own. You could imagine it would soon be as warm and inviting as he was.</p><p>"I'm proud of you, Tetsurou.” You managed to pry yourself from the same spot you'd been frozen in since you walked in. You took your place at his side and drank in the scenery. "You earned your spot here."</p><p>"Y'know I couldn't have done it without you."</p><p>"Yes, you could have. I ended up meddling where I shouldn't have. Tao was impressed because you helped his son."</p><p>"Sure, but you were the one who talked his ear off about all my accomplishments. He'd bring it up to embarrass me every once in a while. It didn't work. It just made me think about how lucky I am to have someone who loves me enough to stand up for me. I think we're a good team. Always have been."</p><p>You giggled. "That's true. I really think we're good together. You make me a better person."</p><p>His arm slipped around your waist in response. "You're never gonna know how much I love you."</p><p>"Oh, trust me. I have an idea."</p><p>Kuroo was busy at the office for the rest of the week, no doubt settling into his new position. The company gave him a pretty nice budget for him to order the necessary furniture considering Tao owned nearly everything that was in there. He was a lot more conservative with their funds, much to their relief.</p><p>You were stuck at home getting your new apartment ready. Your job would start in another month, so you had the time to try and make Kuroo's home life at least somewhat stable. The furniture was all in place by the time the movers left, so it really was just putting everything in their rightful place. Empty cupboards were soon filled with plates and bowls, some of which had been given to you as house-warming gifts from your families. The walls were adorned with photos of you, spanning from your youth to present day. You hung up curtains over the bare windows and breathed a sigh of relief when you stepped back to see it tie the room together.</p><p>Your bedroom was hands down your favorite place. You ordered a bed that was comfortably big for the both of you, without Kuroo having to wade around on the mattress to find you. All your favorite things were splayed across various parts of the room. It was the perfect mesh of your lives, individually and as a couple. As different as it was, it just worked. Much like you.</p><p>The day that you started work was nervewracking. You shopped like crazy trying to find a decent number of outfits that were appropriate for the office environment. You jumped from shop to shop to grab anything in your size that looked halfway decent on you. Clothes shopping was and would always be a pain in the ass.</p><p>You would have to catch the train to get there and on a good day it would take about twenty minutes. You made sure to leave extra early and planted a goodbye kiss on Kuroo's forehead before you left. If you didn't. he would know, and he would be really moody for the rest of the day.</p><p>You didn't like going through public transit alone. Not that anyone ever tried something with you, but you were still wary. You stood with your back against the wall just in case. You didn't trust any of the men in this thing. One of the perks of having Kuroo around was that his presence successfully drove off any creeps looking for an easy target.</p><p>You would be working in the literature department. You followed a few people inside and anxiously made your way to the reception area. You felt a little on edge because this was all so new to you and you wanted to make a good impression.</p><p>"You're early. Good. We have a lot to cover today and I need you to have some caffeine in your system. Here, take this." </p><p>You hadn't even noticed your new boss until she was right next to you. She thrust a fresh cup of coffee in your hand. You glanced at the label and recognized it was from a popular shop down the street. She crooked her finger at you and whirled around in a shimmering cloud of perfume, perfectly blended eyeshadow, silky dark hair and stiletto heels. Her presence was so commanding that nearly everyone looked over when she entered their vicinity.</p><p>"I'll introduce you to the team. All of them are competent and hard workers, just like you. Feel free to ask any of them if they need help. I like to facilitate good relationships with my staff because you're a team, and we all have the same end goal. You'll fit in just fine, a lot of the girls are only a little older than you are. We go out on work trips sometimes to let loose and have fun, so look forward to it."</p><p>You were relieved she was so amicable. You still had nightmares about the reception Tao gave to Kuroo.</p><p>You entered the main office and it was clear the atmosphere was much more welcoming than anywhere else in the building. The girls typing away on their computers had stations decorated with their favorite things. They seemed to be giggling and sharing stories about what happened over the weekend with each other. When they saw your boss, they did straighten up.</p><p>"Good morning, miss! Ooh, is that the new girl?"</p><p>"Yes. She just graduated from Keio."</p><p>"Aw, you're the new baby in this department, then!" one of them giggled. "What I wouldn't give to go back in time…"</p><p>"I'll be training her this morning, so I'm trusting you guys to take care of the phones. Don't send me any calls unless it's urgent."</p><p>"Yes ma'am!"</p><p>You followed your boss into her office. When you glanced over your shoulder, you were relieved to see that the rest of the girls were back to work. You halfway expected them to be gossiping about you. You really hoped that the friendly atmosphere that they projected was mostly true.</p><p>Your head was crammed full of new information and you did your best to pick up on things as quickly as possible. You were tasked with learning the new computer system and setting basic things up. As fast paced as your boss was, she always checked with you to make sure that you were grasping things.</p><p>You were able to take a break and decided to grab a drink from the nearby vending machine. You were torn on what you wanted. Water was your best bet when it came to hydration, but what if it ran right through you and you had to keep running to the bathroom? You didn't want your boss to think you were wasting your time because you didn't take the job seriously. You were still wired from the coffee earlier and you didn't want something too heavy since you would be meeting Kuroo for lunch.</p><p>You realized someone walked up next to you and you stepped to the side. "Sorry, I haven't decided, you can go first."</p><p>The guy chuckled. "Do you not recognize me?"</p><p>You honestly hadn't even looked at his face. You locked eyes and you broke into a huge smile.</p><p>"Kei! What are you doing here?"</p><p>"I have an interview for a couple of positions opening up here." He had a folder tucked under his arm. "I was hoping to run into you. Did you just start today?"</p><p>"Yeah, I did.” You could scarcely believe it. Between school, work and your move, it'd been quite some time since you were able to see Akaashi. "I hope you get the position. It would be so cool to work with you.” You peered at him closely. "Hey, I didn't know you wore glasses."</p><p>He reached up and rested his fingers on the frame. "I got away with it in high school, but I didn't want to risk damaging my eyes with all of the reading I do. I experienced a few worrying instances of migraines brought on by eye strain."</p><p>"Makes sense. Well, you look super handsome with or without glasses. I'd be careful if I were you, there's tons of girls around here on the hunt."</p><p>He nodded. "I'll try."</p><p>Since Akaashi's interview was by your boss, you escorted him back to your floor. You wished him the best of luck. He was an incredible student, a hard worker, and had a brilliant mind to boot. He had an eye for mistakes and would no doubt be an efficient editor. You made sure to tell him as much and laughed when his cheeks went pink.</p><p>"Do you want to have lunch with me and Tetsurou?"</p><p>"I would love to, but I have another class in a few hours." He glanced at his phone and rifled through his calendar app. "We should schedule something, maybe for this weekend."</p><p>"Great! You have to come check out our new place. I can resend you the address?"</p><p>"I do have it. Talk it over with Kuroo and let me know."</p><p>You were in much higher spirits when you got back to your tasks at hand. Working in the same place as Akaashi? That would be awesome. He was someone who preferred privacy and was never too keen on big get-togethers. You would be able to hang out more often if you shared a workplace.</p><p>You gathered your things at lunch. Several of the girls were still there and called out to you.</p><p>"Hey! Are you leaving?"</p><p>"Yeah. Actually, my boyfriend is picking me up and taking me somewhere."</p><p>They giggled. "That's so sweet of him. Well, maybe we can go out tomorrow!"</p><p>"That sounds great. See you guys in a little bit.” You shot them a little wave and started for the exit.</p><p>The room right across the hall belonged to one of the various magazine departments. From the corner of your eye, you could see movement, so you tilted your head to get a better look. Through the doorway you saw several guys peeking over their desks at you. One of them dove to the other side in a poor attempt to hide the fact he was gawking. </p><p>Oookay. Creepy. You turned heel and started down the hallway. Your heels echoed against the floors and it wasn't long before you noticed that another pair of footsteps were behind you. They were out of sync. You tried not to get too worked up about it. It was lunchtime and there were plenty of people leaving to grab something to eat. Not to mention there was only one set of elevators on this floor. He had every right to trail after you.</p><p>You stood in front of the elevator with your purse and jacket. Once you pressed the call button, you shifted and tapped your toe against the floor. You stiffened when you saw that the person following you decided to stand right next to you. It was a little closer than you’d like. You tried not to make it obvious that you were perturbed; there was plenty of space in this little waiting area.</p><p>He cleared his throat. You turned to face him and as soon as he saw you were trying to make eye contact, he looked away.</p><p>"Nice figure," his voice cracked. He must've seen you flinch because he started to panic. "I-I mean figurine. Th-the keychain. On your purse."</p><p>You glanced at it and tried to shake the tension out of your voice. "Oh. Thanks! I love <em>Siren</em>."</p><p>"I-I worked on it last year."</p><p>"Really?” You had to admit, you were impressed. "That's so cool."</p><p>The doors opened and you stepped through. He must have been going to the ground floor like you were. You tried to shrink into the corner of the elevator, mostly because he was so damn close. He was hovering. Your face felt hot from embarrassment. Small talk wasn't something you were good at, and the silence was stifling.</p><p>"Um…so…what do you do for the manga department?" you ventured. </p><p>You hadn't realized your question would set him off, because he stammered and stuttered his way through a full list of his duties and achievements. You listened as carefully as you could, though the conversation went a little fast for your liking. He kept talking so fast that he ran out of breath. </p><p>The doors opened on the ground floor and you shot him a polite smile.</p><p>"Well, it was nice talking with you—"</p><p>"Do you want to get lunch?" he blurted. "I know a really nice place right down the street. It's not far from here. I'll buy."</p><p>"Oh, um, that's nice of you, but I…” You tensed up when you felt a hand on your shoulder. As soon as you smelled the familiar cologne that was spritzed every morning in your bathroom, you relaxed. "Tetsurou."</p><p>"Hey." He dragged his hand down your arm and laced his fingers in yours. "Who's this?"</p><p>"He works in the manga department. I didn't catch your name, you are…?"</p><p>The guy's face was completely drenched in embarrassment and bright red. "S-sorry! I just remembered I have something to do!"</p><p>You and Kuroo watched him dash back into the elevator you just walked out of. You felt a little sorry for him.</p><p>"Told you it was a good idea for me to come," he chuckled. "Akaashi texted me and said that guy had been circling you all day."</p><p>You tried your best to ignore him. "Let's just go."</p><p>You were hyperaware of all the eyes on Kuroo as he guided you out the door. He was causing a stir from several of your coworkers and even people you didn't know. You could see why. He was handsome beyond belief. His height combined with his dark features and that tousled hairstyle was enough to send any of them into shock. You adjusted your purse as you wheeled around several gaping women and their male coworkers glaring in Kuroo's direction.</p><p>"Great, now all the girls are gonna beat me up because they want to steal you from me.” You exhaled deeply as you stepped out into the afternoon sun. "Why are you laughing?"</p><p>"Because I'm sitting here thinking how the hell I'm going to leave you when you've got guys following you like puppies."</p><p>"One guy. Really, Tetsurou? One. Guy. Plus, he was just awkward and I'm probably like the only girl on that floor who he hasn't asked out yet. Being someone's last choice isn't exactly a compliment."</p><p>He rolled his eyes and started off down the street. "Whatever. I'm starving and I don't want to waste my lunch break arguing with you."</p><p>Both of you were out of sorts as you sat down at the bistro. It was gorgeous outside, the weather was perfect, and the food smelled delicious. But neither of you said a word up until your food came.</p><p>"I'm jealous," Kuroo blurted as soon as you took a drink of your water. "Alright? There, I said it."</p><p>"Well, so am I. Did you even see how they were looking at you back there? Don't get me started on the way the female staff at JVA gives you the up-and-down every single day."</p><p>"They can look all they want. The only one hitting this is you."</p><p>That made you laugh and he grinned at the sound. "If it makes you feel any better, there's only one guy in the world I'm wearing this new matching underwear set for."</p><p>He shifted in his seat and tugged his tie away from his neck. "Yeah? What color is it?"</p><p>"Wait 'til we get home and I'll show you."</p><p>The rest of the workday was more of the same. You followed your boss around and took paragraphs of notes to make sure you didn't forget anything. She would be starting on a new novel soon and needed you there to do research on several topics related to her work. You were excited to contribute, mostly because it gave you your own ideas on what to do for your own future book.</p><p>To your delight, Kuroo was outside waiting for you when you finally left. You scolded him at first for wasting his time doubling back for you. He could've gone straight home. That thought died the moment he took your hand and you traveled together, sharing tidbits of your new work lives and keeping each other up to date.</p><p>As soon as you got home, you were overwhelmed with a familiar scent. You wandered over to the kitchen and looked down at the bubbling crockpot.</p><p>"Did you make dinner?"</p><p>"Yeah, I got up a little earlier than usual and threw some stuff in there so neither of us had to cook." He chuckled at your expression. "It's not as good as yours, but that's because I put my own little twist on it."</p><p>You lifted the glass lid sweating with condensation and the smell was much stronger. It made your tension ebb away. Nothing was better than coming home from a stressful day and having a good meal waiting. </p><p>Kuroo handed you the ladle and you scooped up a small amount to give it a taste.</p><p>"So what's the verdict, chef?"</p><p>You hummed. "It's delicious. I don't know what you did, but I love it."</p><p>"That so? Then why don't you let me taste it?" </p><p>He grinned and grabbed your waist, attempting to kiss you. You laughed and placed your palms on his chest to push him away. His lips fastened against your neck instead. Your struggle ended up knocking the ladle to the floor and the remainder of the soup splattered onto the pristine tile.</p><p>Neither of you batted an eye. You would get around to cleaning it sometime after he chased you down the hall, cornered you in the bedroom, and showed you (very enthusiastically, you might add) just how happy he was to call this place home.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reader and Kuroo have always been a power couple, now they've got the status and coin to back it up. I'm so proud of them. :') </p><p>Next week's chapter will be the last so I'll save my mushy speech. Until then, thank you - as always - for reading and commenting on this fic!</p>
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<a name="section0040"><h2>40. Impact</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You have a long list of things you love. Kuroo is one of them.</p>
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    <p>“Hey, are you okay?”</p><p>You snapped to attention after stirring your drink for the umpteenth time. As soon as you let the straw go, it whirled around in the glass from the force of your push. Several of your coworkers stared back at you and you struggled to come up with another excuse.</p><p>“Yeah, I'm fine.”</p><p>“You're a really bad liar.” One of them reached over and dumped the contents of the pitcher into your cup. “You've been spacing out for the whole week. What's up?”</p><p>Your shoulders slumped. </p><p>“Is it that weirdo from the manga department again?”</p><p>“No, it doesn't have anything to do with him.” You wanted to shrink into yourself. Talking about your fellow employee always left a sour taste in your mouth. “I think I've gotten used to him by now. Not much I can do since we're partnered together to brainstorm on a book cover.”</p><p>“I still think it's suspicious that of all the people they sat you down with, it had to be him. There's tons of artists in that department. And we all know he's been obsessed with you ever since he started.”</p><p>You didn't have much motivation to argue. After all this time, one would think he would give up and move on. That wasn't the case. And while he didn't throw himself at you, he certainly made it clear that his affections weren't dying anytime soon. </p><p>“So if it's not the little creep, then who is it? Is someone giving you trouble? I'll beat 'em to a pulp!” She smacked her fist into an open hand and leaned over the table. “You just say the word! I was in softball, I know how to handle a bat!”</p><p>“Hey, calm down! Can't you see you're stressing her out? And stop trying to pick fights!”</p><p>You sank down further into your chair. Tonight was supposed to be fun. You and your coworkers had weekly hangouts at the nearby izakaya. They usually had a long night full of mixed drinks, gossip, and their love lives (either withering or in full bloom, depending on their stroke of luck). You usually had fun because they were just content having you there. You never felt pressured to get drunk or assist them in hitting on guys.</p><p>“Is it about Kuroo?”</p><p>You winced. You weren't trying to drag your problems into the limelight. A couple of the girls were married, some were single and struggling to find a date, others dated around and weren't impressed by their current lineup. It wasn't that you were embarrassed of your relationship. You just felt like burdening them with your issues would get tiresome after a while, and you didn't want to drive them away.</p><p>“Did he forget your anniversary?”</p><p>“No,” you laughed weakly. “It's nothing like that. It's just…well…he's acting weird.”</p><p>“Weird how?”</p><p>You sucked in a deep breath. There was no going back now. All of them hung on your every word. “I don't know what's going on with him, but he and I haven't spent any alone time together in the past couple of weeks.”</p><p>“What?!” one of them shrieked. “What do you mean? Like, you guys haven't had sex?”</p><p>“We've had sex,” you stammered, earning looks of relief from all of them. “It's not about sex. It's about…just…time <em>alone</em>. Aside from sleeping in the same bed, and the…sex…he's been kind of distant. Every single time we have a meal, it's with friends. The other night I said I was going to make dinner and I prepped this really nice meal for just the two of us. He showed up with our mutual best friend, totally unannounced. On the weekends someone is usually over. It's not that I don't enjoy seeing my friends, I've just never seen them around this much. And whenever I tell Tetsurou that I have plans to spend time with friends or family, he's always so quick to let me go. We haven't been on an actual date for a while now.”</p><p>Judging from their expressions, the news wasn't good.</p><p>“Well, let's get it out into the open: maybe he's cheating on you.”</p><p>“Shush!”</p><p>“We were all thinking it!” she defended herself. “Your longtime boyfriend suddenly loses interest in you and avoids being alone with you? That smells fishy to me. You told us that he works with a lot of pretty girls at JVA. Maybe his assistant seduced him.”</p><p>Your eyes blurred with tears. You entertained the thought briefly. Hearing it aloud was painful. </p><p>“Oh, shut up. You know for a fact he wouldn't even dream of it. He's crazy in love with her. And if he was cheating, he would be a lot colder to her. And I doubt their sex life would be normal because he'd be too tired from hooking up with someone else on the side.”</p><p>“I think she should ask him straight up what his problem is. Don't let him sneak around like this. If he has a problem, he should be a man and tell you.”</p><p>“But what if he gets defensive and they get into an argument? Some guys lash out when they're backed into the corner.”</p><p>“He could just be stressed out from work and he doesn't want to risk being mean to you. If he's having a bad time, having another person mediate would force him to keep his attitude in check.”</p><p>“But they've been dating since college. Maybe he's lost interest and just wants to try dating other girls. It's weird that you guys have only ever been in a serious relationship with each other.”</p><p>“It isn't weird if it works for them.”</p><p>You halfway listened to their theories for the rest of the night. The new topic of discussion made the group livelier than usual. You weren't sure what to think. They all made decent points. You and Kuroo had been dating since your freshman year of college. That was five years ago. Maybe the magic and the honeymoon phase had long since faded. He was an incredibly successful sports promoter and entertained people you would never even dream of meeting.</p><p>Were you holding him back? You were a relic of his past. You couldn't stand up to the glamorous women he was surrounded by. You were someone who knew about the awkwardness of his childhood and adolescence. It was possible he'd outgrown you and felt guilty for wanting to end things after being with you for so long.</p><p>You walked along the streets glittering with remnants from the earlier rainstorm, balancing the umbrella on your shoulder. You already regretted having a few drinks with your coworkers. They said it would help push back the tears. You didn't think that was true. You felt your lower lip tremble as you passed through the crowds, not wanting anyone in public – stranger or not – to see you in such a vulnerable state.</p><p>Kuroo was home by the time you got there. You could hear the TV on in the living room. You shrugged off your jacket and hung it up in the nearby closet. You made sure to be a little noisier than possible so he was aware you were home. If he was going to do something suspicious, you wanted to feign ignorance.</p><p>“Tetsurou, I was hoping we could…” You entered the room and saw him sprawled out on the couch. He had a pillow over his face. </p><p>You sighed and went to the linen closet to grab a fresh blanket for him. You didn't want to rouse him from sleep only to have him join you in bed. He needed the sleep.</p><p>You made sure the blanket was secure on his sleeping form. You could see a tuft of his hair peeking out from underneath his nest. You bent down and planted a gentle kiss on the top of his head.</p><p>“Goodnight, Tetsurou.”</p><p>In the morning, Kuroo made breakfast for the two of you. The smell woke you up and your stomach led you to a well-rounded meal that was begging for you to sit down and enjoy it. You wandered over to the kitchen and was dreading how to broach the topic of conversation that weighed on your mind.</p><p>“Mornin', gorgeous,” he grinned at you as you sat down. “Sorry I crashed out last night. I was waiting for you to get home.”</p><p>“Really?” You didn't believe him. “You must've been tired. I didn't want to wake you.”</p><p>“Thanks.” He made no move to join you at the table. “Everything alright at work?”</p><p>“Yeah, it's fine. You?”</p><p>“Never better. Things are going great. I was talking with Kenma last night about collabing. He's really into the idea, even as busy as he is.”</p><p>“Oh, that's a really cool idea. He would definitely draw a lot of attention.” You set your utensils down when you realized he was hovering. “Are you going to eat with me?”</p><p>“Uh—” Whatever excuse he was going for ended up being a moot point. His phone rang and he snatched it up. “I was waiting for a call, sorry. Do you mind if I chat here while I eat?”</p><p>You shrugged. He finally took a seat across from you and dug into his food. Whoever was on the other end of the call didn't seem to mind he was talking with his mouth full. You took your time with your meal, hoping that he would be done before you needed to leave. But the conversation dragged on and you were getting more upset the longer you stayed.</p><p>“Was it alright?” Kuroo cupped a hand over the receiver. “Did I go too heavy on the salt or something?”</p><p>“It was fine.” You dumped your dishes in the sink and went to your bedroom. “Thanks.”</p><p>You tried not to get too worked up on your morning commute. You were frustrated and upset with his strange behavior. He took that call because he didn't want to talk to you during your meal. Why was he giving you such mixed signals? One minute he was making you a meal with your favorite foods, but the next he was outright avoiding you. You couldn't even bring it up with him because there was always someone else around.</p><p>What was his deal?</p><p>Akaashi got on the train and approached you. You always made sure to stand near the doors so he could find you right away. Since getting hired by Shueisha as an editor, you saw each other every day at work. He really wanted to transfer to your department. You hoped that there would be an opportunity to do so. He didn't mind working in the manga department, but it wasn't what he wanted to do.</p><p>“Morning, Kei.” You handed him the can of cold coffee you bought at the station. “Ready for today?”</p><p>“As ready as ever.” He traded you the drink for a pastry he always snagged from the bakery on his way to work. “Please don't take this the wrong way, but you don't look like you slept well last night.”</p><p>“Sheesh…that bad, huh?” You prodded at the puffiness underneath your eyes. “I went out with the girls and I ended up working myself up.”</p><p>Akaashi frowned. “Did something happen?”</p><p>You nibbled a little bit at the sugary treat. “Kei, I think I made a big mistake with Tetsurou.”</p><p>“How so?”</p><p>“A couple of weeks ago, I was watching this show on TV about women going bridal gown shopping. He was on the couch with me and kind of doing his own thing. I told him how much I was looking forward to getting married. Normally Tetsurou and I joke around about it and we talk about what it'll be like. But this time he just…sat there and went dead silent.”</p><p>“And you think it was because you brought up marriage?”</p><p>“I think the difference was that I was being serious. When we were growing up, Tetsurou made offhanded comments about us getting married someday. He joked he would buy me a ring as soon as he could afford it. I never thought he actually meant it until he assured me that he did. But that day was different somehow. I looked right at him and said that I was excited about our wedding, and that I had been kind of piecing together different ideas for it. Like, you know, invitations and venue…that kind of thing. He didn't say anything for a while, but he started <em>sweating</em>. He practically ran out of the room and was gone for like an hour. He said he ate something bad, and I believed him. Now I don't think that's the case.”</p><p>You stepped off the train together. Akaashi seemed to be in deep thought.</p><p>“Have you tried talking about it with him?”</p><p>“Yes. I managed to bring it up a few times in conversation, but it obviously made him uncomfortable, so he dropped it. Now he avoids me altogether. He's on edge all of the time. Talking about marriage is one thing, but making it reality is another. I think maybe he joked about it so much he didn't realize that I was taking it seriously after a while.”</p><p>You went through the front doors of the office building and headed into the cramped elevator. You couldn't say much to each other with everyone listening in. If someone caught wind of you and Akaashi discussing marriage, the rumors would fly off the handle.</p><p>Instead, you waited until you got to your floor. You went to the break room and he made sure no one was listening in. </p><p>“You two have been together for quite some time. While you are young, I don't see a problem with marriage. You've known each other since childhood.”</p><p>“That's what I thought. But maybe it's still too soon for him. He's done so well these past couple of years and his career has really taken off. He's stable in his job. A wedding would throw all his plans out the window. Not to mention that he still has his whole life ahead of him. He might be seriously thinking about whether he wants to continue with this relationship…I'm sure other people have made it clear that he's still so inexperienced when it comes to women in general.”</p><p>Akaashi leaned on the counter. You could practically see the cogs turning in his head.</p><p>“You're ready for him to ask you to get married, then. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so upset about him trying to hold off on it.”</p><p>You were embarrassed to say he was right. “I think so. It was never the right time before. We were still in school, work was new for the both of us. I know it's only been a couple of years since we graduated college, but things have settled down so much. I'm ready to be his fiancée, not his girlfriend. It's painful to think that…maybe we're at different stages of our life right now. If I'm ready, and he's not, I don't want to pressure him. But I'll also be hurt if he tells me the truth…that he wants to wait.”</p><p>“I can't pretend to know what Kuroo is thinking. He is acting a little childishly by avoiding you. But this can't be resolved without talking it over. I think you need to make it clear to him what it is you want. If he isn't on the same page, at least you know. He needs to hear it from you.”</p><p>“You're right. I just don't know how I can get him alone. He's either on the phone or has friends over at our place.”</p><p>Akaashi shifted his weight to his other foot. “Instead of waiting for him to come to you, then you should go to him. You can get the drop on him.”</p><p>You realized the solution and brightened up instantly. “Yes! You're right. I have an idea. I'm putting myself on the line, but I just…want to get this out in the open. I love him and want to take the next step together.”</p><p>“Good. If you need anything from me, I'm here.”</p><p>Your conversation with Akaashi made everything much clearer. You wanted to get engaged. After years of making light of it, you were at a point in your relationship where you didn't want it to be a far-off future anymore. Kuroo was the man you loved more than anyone else. For some people, marriage was a silly contract, something outdated and unnecessary. Maybe you were old-fashioned or being naïve. To you, a marriage with Kuroo was your idea of happiness.</p><p>You got through the rest of your workday without as much fear and apprehension. You were focused on your work and motivated. Even when you were alone in a room with that manga artist and he tried to dig out more information about yourself, you kept yourself calm and redirected his attention. He was extremely awkward and creepy, but you felt sorry for him, so you were never unkind. Maybe that was why he kept bothering you.</p><p>“I noticed your boyfriend hasn't been coming around lately. Hopefully things are okay between the two of you.” He followed you out of the room as you gathered your materials. “If you're not busy, I have these two tickets to—”</p><p>Your face lit up when you spotted your two saviors. Udai, one of the other manga artists in the department, stepped directly between you. He began asking the guy for assistance on a few action poses he wasn't happy with. Akaashi took your hand to lead you away and discouraged you from looking back or at least saying goodbye.</p><p>“I'm sorry about him,” he lamented as you went to the elevator together. “I genuinely wish he would stop harassing you.”</p><p>“It could be a lot worse, but you're right. There are tons of other girls in the building he could chase after. I don't know why it has to be me.”</p><p>He hummed. “Well, it wouldn't be the first time someone fell in love with you at first sight.”</p><p>You blinked and spared a glance up at him. “You mean like Tetsurou?”</p><p>His cheeks were slightly rosy and he reached up to scratch the back of his neck. “Yes, that too.”</p><p>You and Akaashi usually got lunch together, more often nowadays since Kuroo was too busy to pick you up. This time, however, you paused.</p><p>“I actually have an errand to run. I'm sorry, I should've told you earlier.”</p><p>“That's alright. I have some things I want to review at lunch, anyway.”</p><p>“Okay. See you later!”</p><p>You didn't have much time to waste. Lunch was only about an hour. You quickened your pace and boarded the train without any hesitation.</p><p>The building was bustling with activity when you entered. It was a bureaucrat's dream. Long lines winding through the room, uncaring employees with serious attitudes, and distressed people trying to keep their cool as the experience tested their patience and sanity. You wandered around for a little while, lost, before you mustered up the courage to ask someone for directions.</p><p>Your stomach twisted when you were in line. You glanced around and wondered why you felt like you were doing something questionable. No one cared what you were here for or who you were. You tried to calm your nerves by the time you got up to the window and let the woman behind the counter know what it was you needed.</p><p>“It isn't very often young ladies ask for this.” She handed it over to you with a subdued smile. “Have a nice day.”</p><p>You tucked it somewhere safe and treated it as precious cargo. You would have to make sure you put it in a place where Kuroo wouldn't stumble on it. You had some other things to think about before using it. </p><p>Within the next few days, you and Kuroo were on your way to Miyagi. The MSBY Black Jackals would be playing their longtime rival team at Kamei Arena Sendai. Aside from going there to support Bokuto, Kuroo had interest in reaching out to Hinata about working together. Kuroo's recent project was to encourage more people to facilitate an interest in volleyball. He wanted the sport to generate new fans and, hopefully, players. This was why he was so good at what he did. He already knew the merits and benefits of involving oneself in the sport. It changed his life, so he was interested in giving the same opportunity to everyone else.</p><p>To say that the match was phenomenal would've been an understatement. You always adored watching Bokuto play. Over the years his maturity only led him to become a refined player. He was precise, driven, passionate and supportive of his team. He was a far cry from the dramatic, off-the-rails teenager you met all those years ago. </p><p>It only made sense to you who would secure that victory. You knew your throat was going to be sore from how hard you cheered.</p><p>Coming here was much like taking a step back in time. Although all of your friends from high school weren't present, a good majority of them were. It was heartwarming to see Bokuto's former teammates and friends take a good look at how hard he worked. Akaashi of all people was very surprised. The two hadn't seen much of each other since Bokuto moved and your stories couldn't do him justice. You wondered if, by old habits, Akaashi had to edit his list of Bokuto's weaknesses based on what he saw today.</p><p>You elbowed Kuroo. “Ooh, Karasuno's former manager got married to one of the players!” </p><p>You gazed at them in envy. Shimizu had always been pined after in high school. She and her husband hadn't been together nearly as long as you and Kuroo had. Still, you couldn't be too sour with the news. They made such a cute couple and it was clear that they adored each other.</p><p>Kuroo flinched when you mentioned it. He muttered a few encouraging words, but looked away when you tried to make eye contact with him. The gesture made your heart sink and your excitement soon faded.</p><p>“I'm going to try and catch Hinata to talk about the collab.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Kuroo's shoulders slumped. “You don't want to come with?”</p><p>“I'll just get in your way.” You grabbed your purse from the bench and tried so hard to keep your voice level. “Text me when you're done.”</p><p>Before you left, he reached down and took your hand. You wanted to shake him off. You couldn't bring yourself to. </p><p>“You won't even look at me?”</p><p>You gritted your teeth and glanced over your shoulder. “What do you want from me, Tetsurou?”</p><p>“I want you to know that I still love you.” He sounded so resolute. He made it so easy to believe him.</p><p>“Could've fooled me.” You tore your arm away and stalked off, fuming as you increased the space between you.</p><p>You tried to spend the rest of the afternoon in good spirits. You were content to avoid Kuroo. He texted you asking where you were, and you just said you were mingling with some people you hadn't seen in a while. He never seemed to be able to find you in the crowds. Were you being childish? Absolutely. But so was he. You were tired of playing the adult and trying to make things work. If he wanted to talk and resolve things, then he had to make an effort.</p><p>Neither of you met up until you went back to Tokyo. You met him at the train station. You didn't say a word to each other while you waited for the next car to pull up. While you were standing side by side, you didn't feel like you knew him at all.</p><p>“Hey, I know you're pissed at me. I get it. Akaashi told me that you were upset—”</p><p>“He what?” You couldn't believe it. You told him that information in confidence. “Do you guys all enjoy spending time talking behind my back? It's interesting that you can find the time to have a conversation with him. It would be nice if you could do the same with me, but I guess I'm asking too much.”</p><p>Kuroo was silent. One of the other passengers nearby was gazing at their phone and stifled a noise. They bit their knuckle to hide their mix of shock, disbelief and amusement. You knew there were several people eavesdropping, even if they were trying to be polite. </p><p>“He was just trying to give me the heads up because he was worried.”</p><p>“I don't want our friends to have to step in and play negotiator,” you muttered coldly. “And Keiji should mind his own fucking business.”</p><p>The walk from the station to your apartment was quiet. You rode the elevator without a word between you. As soon as you were inside, you went straight for your room.</p><p>“Are you giving me the silent treatment now?”</p><p>“Isn't that what you wanted? For me to keep my mouth shut?” you spat as you tugged a large bag out of the closet. “You don't want to talk with me. Fine. Then I'll just stay somewhere else so you don't have to feel like you're walking on eggshells all the time.”</p><p>Kuroo sighed and rubbed at the space between his brows. He sank down on the edge of the bed. “It's not that I don't want to talk to you, okay?”</p><p>“You don't have to explain yourself. You have your own shit going on. Whatever it is, I'm not involved.” You shoved more of your clothes in the duffel bag, not even bothering to fold them. “I'm tired of being ignored in my own house by my own boyfriend. So I'll stay somewhere else.”</p><p>“Come on…”</p><p>Once you were sure you had all your essentials, you slung the bag over your shoulder. “Tetsurou, I don't have time for this. I really don't. We're not kids anymore. I'm tired of the guesswork.”</p><p>“Look, it's confusing for me, too—”</p><p>“Then take some time and think about it.” </p><p>You weaved your way around the furniture and ignored the way he pleaded for you to come back inside. You didn't look back once when you traveled all the way downstairs and called a cab to take you anywhere but here.</p><p>The weekend was spent wallowing in an empty hotel room. You bought a ton of snacks to get you through the day and night. You didn't have much of an appetite for an actual meal. You spent the entire day in your pajamas and took ridiculously long bubble baths to try and calm yourself down. Your phone was off the entire time, mostly because you wanted to avoid your friends guilt-tripping you into going back home.</p><p>By the time Monday rolled around, you got yourself ready for work. You would go early and shove your bag somewhere so no one would have an idea of what happened. You sat in front of your computer and stared at the black screen for half an hour before people started to trickle in. </p><p>Nothing had been resolved with your tantrum. You didn't expect it to. It was more to punish Kuroo, even if it took as much of a toll on you. You were distracted the entire morning and were reprimanded multiple times by your boss. </p><p>You were too afraid to check your phone. You knew he must have messaged you. What if he sent you something harsh? What if he told you not to come back? Or he confessed the truth about him holding you at arm's length?</p><p>After work, you dodged Akaashi and left the building as soon as you could. You weren't going home. You were heading to the JVA building so you could confront Kuroo. He owed you that much.</p><p>You didn't bother checking in with the receptionist, mostly because you didn't want Kuroo to make an excuse and escape. You couldn't handle it if he turned you away. You forced yourself into the elevator and traveled to the floor his office was on. A few familiar people greeted you, though no one made a comment about your anxious appearance.</p><p>You lingered in front of the door. It was cracked open and you strained your ears to see whether he was in a meeting with anyone. It didn't seem like it. You placed your palm against the aged wood and added more weight to it, enough that it swung inward. You swallowed hard and braced yourself as you walked inside.</p><p>Your heart dropped.</p><p>Kuroo wasn't here.</p><p>You sighed in frustration and strode over to the desk. Really? Of all the days that you made it, he wasn't even in? You weren’t sure what to do. Should you wait for him? Leave? You glanced at the papers on his desk. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. You weren't going to be super crazy and snoop around. </p><p>You sat your folder on the desk and slipped into one of the chairs. Kuroo's office was always comforting in its own way. He had his high school and college diplomas framed on the wall. There were several photos he took with teams in varying divisions. Of course, he always included at least one photo of you on his desk. He switched it up every now and then. You once joked that he must've had a pretty extensive collection. You hadn't realized he kept an album in his drawer.</p><p>You reached over and took the office phone from the desk, stretching the cord over to where you were seated. You wanted to dial for Kuroo's assistant, but you thought better of it. What if they were together? Instead, you rang down to the front desk.</p><p>“Hi Momo, it's me. I came up to see Tetsurou, but I guess he's out of the office?”</p><p>“Oh! I'm so sorry. He had an extra meeting added to his schedule.”</p><p>“That's alright. Do you have any idea when he'll be back?”</p><p>“I'm really not too sure. He's been in it for about half an hour now. You're welcome to wait for him up there.”</p><p>You hesitated. “Actually, I was just trying to catch him before he had to go. I'll meet him at home. But thank you for letting me know.”</p><p>You hung the phone up. Well, Kuroo. Maybe your fateful encounters had finally run out. It seemed that this week had been filled with bad luck, broken hearts and tears all around. You stood up, turned heel, and made your way out the door. The walls closed in on you and the air squeezed out of your lungs with every step you took. Your vision blurred and you followed along the relieved employees pouring out of the building as the workday came to an end.</p><p>Kuroo had a rough weekend of his own. He was dejected the entire time you were gone from the apartment. He knew it was entirely his fault and he couldn't blame you for your anger and disappointment. He wished that he could open his mouth and let the truth come pouring out, but it would ruin everything. So instead, he did nothing but let you go and hope that by the time you came back, he would piece together what he needed to say.</p><p>He planned to take you out to lunch and hopefully put your worries at rest. It didn't happen. His free time was snatched away and he was booked solid the entire day. He wanted to at least pick you up from work so he could try to mend things. Yet again, his idea was shot down by a minor inconvenience and another meeting that could've been covered in an email.</p><p>He trudged into his office after his final meeting of the day. He was sore all over from tossing and turning all night in his empty bed. His chest ached. He collapsed on his chair and threaded his fingers through his thick hair, his head drooping as he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to fight back the negativity that swelled in his heart.</p><p>He happened to glance up and spotted a familiar folder on the opposite end of the desk. He picked it up and ran his fingers over the embossed heart on the outside cover. Had you left it for him? It was obvious you came by. When was it? How could he have missed you? He was only out of his office this afternoon for forty-five minutes tops.</p><p>He opened it up and peered inside, wondering if you’d left him a note with a bittersweet message. That or something that chewed him out; he really wouldn't be that surprised.</p><p>He was stunned when he read the text printed on the paper.</p><p>Kuroo bolted from his seat. With the folder in hand, he jogged down the hallway and narrowly avoided some of the lingering office workers who gave him polite nods. They were surprised to see him forego the elevator, throw open the stairwell doors, and start launching himself down each flight with unmatched speed and agility.</p><p>He was out of breath when he reached the lobby. He rushed over to the receptionist, who was still there and thankfully just packing up her things.</p><p>“She came by?” Kuroo wheezed, your name slipping from his trembling lips. “When?”</p><p>The receptionist was flustered at his disheveled appearance. Kuroo was known for being well-kept and collected at all times. “Oh, yes, she did - she left here about five minutes ago—”</p><p>“Did she say where she was going?”</p><p>“No, she didn't even say goodbye. She walked out the door. But I think she said she was on her way home, I saw her head in the direction of the station—”</p><p>“Sorry, could you please keep this for me? I'll be back for it tomorrow.”</p><p>He shed his jacket off and handed it to her. Kuroo didn't wait another moment. He sprinted across the lobby and burst out of the doors. The cool night air shocked his senses for a moment and dried the cold sweat that lingered near his hairline. He dodged the rush hour crowds and scanned the horizon for any hint of your presence. He had to catch you before everything fell to pieces.</p><p>He was thankful that you weren't in a rush. He found your figure surrounded by a large group of people. He cupped his hand over his mouth and bellowed your name to get your attention.</p><p>You turned to look at him. His heart was in his throat and pounded away, faster than it had ever done before. The hurt reflected in your eyes only spurred him on. He ignored the annoyed looks of the people around him and stood tall a few paces away from you.</p><p>He held up the folder. He couldn't stop grinning.</p><p>“Are you seriously asking me to marry you?”</p><p>The panic that swept over your face only endeared him more. He was right.</p><p>“I…I didn't mean to leave that in your office,” you responded lamely.</p><p>“Well, you did. And I saw it.” He pointed to the title and read it aloud. “Marriage registration form. It doesn't get any clearer than that. You…” He laughed and looked like he was on the verge of tears at the same time. “You couldn't wait? I was picking up your damn ring tonight!”</p><p>You felt the heat rising to your face. Your insides churned. “What?”</p><p>“You heard me. Your engagement ring. I was going to pick it up. Tonight.” He moved closer to you, his steps hard against the pavement, measured, even, sure. “It's been in the works for almost a month. I wasn't going to get you something cheap or not even your style. I've been shopping since the beginning of the year. I finally found one I knew you were gonna love. It took a little while because I had to get the size right, but I got the call this morning that it was ready. I got the pictures of it in the box and everything.”</p><p>It felt like a joke. “Then why are you acting like you hate me? You've been blowing me off, making sure we aren't alone, shoving me onto my friends! It fucking sucked!”</p><p>“I didn't know what else to do. You brought up us getting married last week and I panicked. I thought for sure you found out that I had something in the works. I felt guilty because I knew I should've asked by now, and it only got worse when we saw those two from Karasuno were already hitched. I was like, 'Man, what the hell is wrong with you?' I've been busy at work - and that's a shitty excuse - but it really took away the time I needed to find to plan everything. I was worried that if you and I got to talking about it, I would let it slip. I wanna marry you more than anything. There's so many times I've almost blurted it out, but you deserve better than me just throwing it out there so casually.”</p><p>He didn't care that you stood in the middle of the sidewalk. You didn't care that several people were gazing at you in confusion and irritation. You searched his expression and found that broad smile hadn't wavered for an instant.</p><p>“Kuroo Tetsurou, will you marry me?”</p><p>“I've been waiting practically my whole life for this moment. So…hell yes.”</p><p>He hooked your chin with his thumb and index finger to bring his lips to yours. He couldn't stop laughing, which made it difficult for you to take him seriously, so you laughed, too. Once his fit settled down, he sealed your mouth with his and made no attempt to hide his glee through a series of open-mouthed, passionate kisses. You felt a little faint with how he devoured you on the spot. He sucked the oxygen from your lungs and breathed out warmth and devotion in its place. You felt lightheaded and gripped hard onto his sleeves, your knuckles tightening along the soft texture of his shirt.</p><p>You pulled back and found he was gazing at you. Seeing the sincerity, adoration and overwhelming amount of love in his eyes made you berate yourself for ever questioning him at all.</p><p>“You really suck at lying, and you suck for making me worry that you wanted to end things with me.”</p><p>“I know. I got desperate. That night you said you'd been looking at venues, I was sure I was going to admit everything. I couldn't trust myself. No one knew what the hell was going on or why I kept trying to get them to come over or call me on the phone.”</p><p>“I really want to be mad at you. But I can't. Not when I know we're getting married.”</p><p>He took you into a short kiss. “I'll make it up to you, I swear.” He kissed you again. “I love you.” Again. “I wanna spend the rest of my life with you.”</p><p>“Wow, were you always this cheesy?” you teased to cover up your own embarrassment. “Let's go. We're about to be mobbed if we don't get out of the way.”</p><p>Kuroo kept staring at the marriage registration form with this dopey look on his face. His eyes sparkled. He was giddy that you’d actually gone down to the city office to request it. For him, it was a gesture that you were ready. You hadn't meant to force it on him. All you wanted to do was sit down, show it to him, and tell him that was what you envisioned for your future. You weren't sure he would go for it. But now that he read over it enough that the edges frayed, it was clear that he was more than ready to sign off on it whenever you could.</p><p>“This is all out of order. I was supposed to pick this up, take you to dinner, and then to…well...” He shot you a look. “We can still do that part. I mean, we've got time. Right? You're not like, having movers take your stuff out as we speak?”</p><p>“No,” you laughed weakly. “Although you really pissed me off. This ring better blow me away.”</p><p>“Shit.” He rubbed at his hairline, where he'd already started to sweat again. “I can feel the pressure.”</p><p>“I was joking, Tetsurou. I'm going to love it.”</p><p>You did. You really did. Your favorite gemstone and cut was nestled in the very band you’d been scrolling through images of months before. Kuroo had been paying attention. You should've known better. He was so secretive and perceptive. He admitted he'd seen the open tabs on your phone and the recently viewed pages. He saw the way your eyes lingered on certain styles when you walked past billboards.</p><p>You were thrilled when the jeweler slipped it on. How he found your size, you would never know. You turned your finger from side to side and watched it catch the light. Kuroo was relieved when he saw you couldn't stop yourself from babbling about how gorgeous it was. You felt a little guilty because it was beautiful and he would be the type to go overboard to spoil you. He reassured you that it wasn't an exorbitant amount.</p><p>“He was very nervous when ordering it,” the jeweler told you with a smile. “Probably one of the most prepared people who I've worked with, and I've been in this business for a long time.”</p><p>“Hey, man, don't out me like that.” Kuroo reached up and rubbed the ball of his shoulder. “I wanted to get it right.”</p><p>“Judging by the look on her face, I would say you passed with flying colors.” </p><p>You nodded. “He definitely did.”</p><p>Kuroo's plan for the restaurant was to take you to the very same one you went to for your first official anniversary, back when you were in high school. You were touched beyond measure. Of course, he actually found out that place was closed down and there was a fast-food restaurant in its place. So you settled for an equally romantic place a few blocks down the street.</p><p>“Did you remember your wallet?” you joked. “I'll never forget that.”</p><p>“Give me a break. I was nervous as hell. You were the first girl I ever dated. I wanted everything to go smooth. I got the guys to help me out and everything. Not to mention you were off to America not long afterwards.”</p><p>“Yeah, that was really hard. I don't regret my decision. I wonder how things would've turned out if I'd stayed.”</p><p>“You needed to go out on your own to learn to stand on your own two feet, and I needed to learn that you weren't always going to stick around. It forced both of us to grow up and work on ourselves. You went to therapy, which was so awesome. I remember how surprised I was when you told me, since I didn’t know much about it. But you took it in stride and really owned up to it. And while you were learning how to cope and work on your anxiety, I took things slow and focused on my short-term goals so neither of us felt cheated.”</p><p>You shared your meals together and it felt surreal with how different the vibe was compared to everything that happened a few days ago. Kuroo was more like himself. He was relaxed, teasing, affectionate and couldn't stop staring at you.</p><p>You scooped up the melting dessert from your plate and reached across the table to give him a taste. He didn't even flinch. This amount of gooey, overwhelming display of affection would've grossed out your closest friends. You were glad you could share it together without them making a fuss.</p><p>You were pleasantly full as you took the train towards your next destination. Kuroo only let go of your hand when you were seated across from each other in the restaurant. Otherwise, he kept you in his firm grip. You sat as close as possible and the way your clasped hands rested on your thigh was reminiscent of your days in high school while you rode the bus to school every morning.</p><p>You knew the next area like the back of your hand. Kuroo's family lived around the corner and your grandmother's house wasn't far away, either. You strolled past the sidewalk, away from the neighborhood, and came upon a vast, open field with construction equipment parked on the opposite side.</p><p>You and Kuroo ducked underneath the caution tape. They hadn't even broken ground yet and it was more of a deterrent rather than an actual safety warning. Neither of you said anything as you stepped across the dewy grass, the blades bending underneath your feet. It was dark and quiet. The atmosphere differed so much from the sunny spring day when you encountered each other here.</p><p>“What're they building here?”</p><p>“An outdoor volleyball court.” He chuckled. “I've been pushing for this project for a while now. If we want more people interested in volleyball, it has to be accessible to future generations. Kenma and I practiced with an old net out here that was barely hanging on. It was pretty sad. But it's a great spot for a bigger court with the right equipment. The school's not too far from here. You give these kids the tools they need, and they're gonna run with it.”</p><p>You couldn't contain your smile. “Only you would see the potential in a place like this.”</p><p>“It gave me really good memories. I would play out here and try out moves I saw from the pros on TV. I thought I was hot shit. I was showing off when I hit it too hard and it flew over the fence.”</p><p>“And it gave me a bloody nose.” You reached up and touched the tip of it. “I was so pissed off. I was angry that I had to spend the break with my grandma, and I was angry that she was kicking me out of the house. I missed Morisuke so much. I didn't know anyone. Then I finally started to enjoy the fresh air and I got hit in the face.”</p><p>“You scared the hell out of me,” he laughed. “When I saw that look on your face, I almost grabbed Kenma so we could start running. I was glad there was a fence between us. Then my ball was lost forever in that garbage truck.”</p><p>“I told you I wasn't aiming for it! It was just bad timing. Like me walking into the ball's trajectory.”</p><p>“Nah, I don't consider it unlucky. Because I got an even better volleyball. Mikasa brand and everything.” He squeezed your hand tighter. “There was no way I couldn't crush on you. You were nice even after I hurt you. You hung out with us and it was so easy to talk to you, even though I was shy around pretty much everyone else. You were really cute…even if you did have dried blood on your shirt.”</p><p>“Yeah, I guess you were cute, too. I thought your hair was a little weird, but I grew to love it. Especially when I found out how it got that way. I liked the way we teased each other. I liked that you never gave up, even when I had to go back home and go to school.”</p><p>“I was so pissed when I found out you and Yakkun were best friends. When you congratulated him at that game, it felt like my whole world fell apart.”</p><p>“I remember. My hair got caught in your jacket.”</p><p>“What about when you saw me after my growth spurt?”</p><p>“Dude, you were huge. I was used to putting my elbow on your head. You went from cute boy next door to disgustingly hot bestie. I didn't know how to act around you.”</p><p>“I couldn't stop daydreaming about you. You filled out and it was like I was constantly trying to keep the blood from rushing down to my pants.”</p><p>You ended up dropping down to the ground, unbothered by how you would get your clothes dirty. You plucked a blade of grass and threw it at him. You spent a few minutes having a quick war, laughing like you'd been transported back to that moment where you had no idea how important you would end up being to each other.</p><p>“I have to say, this was a really nice proposal plan,” you admitted, resting your head on his shoulder. “Sorry I ruined it.”</p><p>“You always catch me off guard. That's just how it is. You're the only person who's ten steps ahead of me, and I love it about you. So you didn't ruin it at all.”</p><p>You turned to look at him and found he was already staring at you. It wasn't a question of whether you would kiss, but when it would happen. Kuroo cupped the back of your head so he could deepen the kiss. You opened your mouth and let out a sharp gasp when his free hand traveled down your chest. He brushed his thumb across the cup of your bra and forced you to lie down. </p><p>You gazed up at him and brushed away a lock of hair that fell into his eyes. He settled on top of you and you wrapped your arms around him, the lower half of your bodies flush against each other. You could feel how hard he was, the full length of him pressing on the leg of his pants. You spread your legs a little wider and he slotted between them, the delicious friction causing you to arch up into him.</p><p>“You wanna do it here?” Kuroo laughed between soft kisses on your neckline. “There’s no one around.”</p><p>“You always were such an exhibitionist. Cornering me everywhere. As romantic as having sex in the dirt would be, I have a much better idea.”</p><p>Kuroo helped you get up. You hurried down the street, both of you still worked up from your heavy makeout session. Your destination? The currently empty house where you spent all of your school breaks.</p><p>“You still carry your key with you?”</p><p>“Yeah, mostly out of habit.” You stuck it in the lock and turned. The entire living room was pitch black. “Dobashi will move back in after the renovations are done in a few months. In the meantime…”</p><p>You and Kuroo ended up in your old bedroom where several of your childhood belongings still stayed. Did the room smell a little stale and musty? Absolutely. Was the bed old enough to give you pause? Yup. It didn’t stop either of you.</p><p>“All I wanna see on you is that ring.”</p><p>“Who made you the boss?” you replied cheekily.</p><p>He fumbled with the buttons on his shirt and dragged the sleeves down his arms. You wasted no time in pulling him with you onto the bed, your lips drawn to the familiar curves of his chest. You ran your tongue along his nipple and your hand wandered downwards to cup him through his slacks.</p><p>“You’re so hard, Tetsurou.”</p><p>“I know. Just keep your hand on me. So damn soft.”</p><p>You unbuckled his belt and he helped you tug the pants down his ankles. Your sweater and skirt were peeled away as soon as he was in nothing but his boxers. You leaned into his touch when he unfastened your bra. You rubbed your thighs together and he was thrilled to see how damp your panties were.</p><p>He sat on the edge of the bed and you dropped down in front of him to finally get rid of his last piece of clothing. His cock was already pressed up against his belly, precum dribbling from its tip all the way down to the base. You cupped your breasts and slipped his cock between them. Kuroo was fascinated with them and always made a point to give them some attention during sex. Besides rutting between your thighs, his favorite thing to do was have his cock engulfed by the plushness of your chest. He sighed and leaned back on his palms as you opened your mouth and let the saliva drizzle along the reddened head.</p><p>“Oh, fuck,” he moaned as you started a rhythm. “Are you—shit…”</p><p>You always loved making him come undone. He was handsome as it was, but watching his orgasm was something else. He rolled his hips into you and grunted your name with every messy sound.</p><p>“You can cum if you want to.”</p><p>He sighed and his thighs clenched as he did just that. You dropped your head down and fastened your lips against him to swallow everything he had to give you. Kuroo’s hips stuttered and he dug his heels into the mattress as you sucked him off.</p><p>You pulled back and admired your work. His entire body was flushed, he heaved for breath and he was fully limp when you gave him an experimental stroke. Your saliva glittered on his skin. You hadn’t wasted a single drop of his cum. Unpleasant as it was, he always got immense satisfaction watching you milk him dry.</p><p>“Alright,” he huffed, “your turn.”</p><p>“Where do you want me?”</p><p>He responded by lying down flat on the bed. You crawled on top of him and settled down on his lap. His hand patted your hip.</p><p>“Not down there. Up here.”</p><p>You hesitated. “I don’t know…you’re already out of breath. And—”</p><p>“No excuses. Let’s do this.”</p><p>You swallowed hard and did as he asked. Kuroo wanted you to sit on his face. He’d never managed to convince you to do it fully, only because you were terrified of suffocating him. He was determined tonight and you found yourself believing him. </p><p>You straddled his head and your thighs rested on either side. He encouraged you with a reassuring rub of your lower back that he wanted your full weight. You braced yourself and let go of what you were holding back.</p><p>“Tetsurou?” His mouth was already positioned directly underneath you. You gasped when his tongue slipped inside you with ease. “Tet…su…rou…”</p><p>Kuroo wasted no time in eating you out like his life depended on it. You forced yourself to keep cool and not start thrusting so hard that it hurt him. His tongue was slick, strong, and the angle let him penetrate far deeper than he could otherwise. He was all too happy to slurp up every last drop that trickled out of you. He thrusted in and out, suckled on your labia, lathing the flat, broad side of his tongue along every fold, crevice and nerve that sent your vision teetering.</p><p>“I’m so close,” you whispered, eyes scrunching up as he hit another tender spot. “Please keep going, please. Tetsurou, I—nnn!”</p><p>You braced yourself hard and, without realizing it, clenched your legs together around his head. You bore down with your entire weight, toes curling, about to reach the crux of your orgasm—</p><p>
  <em>CRACK!</em>
</p><p>You screamed as the entire frame of the bed snapped. The mattress plummeted to the floor and the two of you went along with it. You were in such a state of shock you toppled forwards onto the carpet. The cold air was unpleasant against your raw skin.</p><p>“Oh my god,” you cried, “I broke your neck, didn’t I?!”</p><p>Kuroo looked like he was trying to feign losing consciousness. As soon as he heard the shrillness to your voice, he cracked up. You watched him reach up to massage the back of his neck. His entire face was covered in your slick.</p><p>“I’ll have to wear a neck brace for the wedding.”</p><p>“You ass. I hate you!” You joined his belly-deep laughter despite yourself. “I really thought I killed you! We are never doing this again!”</p><p>“It’s not your fault the bed couldn’t handle us. It’s old enough to retire.”</p><p>“What the hell am I gonna do? They’ll know for sure we were screwing around in here.”</p><p>“Unless we don’t mention it.” He grinned. “It’ll be our little secret.”</p><p>“I hate to say you’re right.”</p><p>After making sure that the shattered wood frame didn’t leave any shards you could step on, you and Kuroo settled on the mattress together. He was still laughing about the entire thing. You were in shock.</p><p>“You didn’t get to cum, did you?”</p><p>“No. I was like seconds away, too. Bummer.”</p><p>He leaned over and kissed you. “All that excitement aside, I’m ready to keep going. Except this time let’s maybe stick to something we know won’t cause any more damage.”</p><p>You lowered yourself onto the mattress and stared up at the ceiling. Kuroo had his face buried between your legs for a good while. You shifted every now and then to chase the pleasure he was all too happy to give. His mouth was always so warm and wet, attentive and unrelenting. After years of intimacy he knew exactly which spots to focus on to bring you to a much-needed orgasm. You cried out his name and felt him grin when your thighs wrapped around his head to push him further onto you as you rode out the aftershocks.</p><p>“That was a good one.” He licked at his lips. “You wanna keep going?”</p><p>You nodded and he slid on top of you. People talked a lot of shit about missionary, but it could be intimate. You liked having him in this position because it was easy to gaze into his eyes and watch the lust swallow him whole. You liked that he could easily bend down to claim your lips in soft, messy kisses, and how he could lace his fingers with yours while he pinned you to the bed. You liked the heaviness of his weight as he positioned himself against you and slipped inside you.</p><p>“So how's it feel?”</p><p>“You <em>know</em> it feels good.” You reached up to toy with the lock of hair near his ear. “You always fill me up just right.”</p><p>“I meant how's it feel to have sex for the first time with your fiancé, but that works, too,” Kuroo chuckled. “Good to know you're not bored of it yet.”</p><p>“Definitely not.” You hooked your legs around his back and forced him down further until his pubic hair met yours. “And I've got my whole life to convince you.”</p><p>“Judging by how hard you're squeezing me, and how wet you are, I've got an idea.”</p><p>He grinned and rolled his hips into you. His rhythm started pretty tame. He was concentrating more on grinding his pubic bone along your clit to send sparks down your spine. You made no attempt to hide how incredible it felt. His bare chest was already donning several scratch marks from your nails as you raked them across his pectorals and abs. You were already biting your lower lip by the time his hips reared back and his thrusts grew a little harder.</p><p>“You’ve always been so good at taking my dick, you know that?” His feral grin sent a shudder down your spine. “I could watch it for hours. You’re so greedy. Every…last…bit...fuck, you got tighter. I always knew you liked my dirty talk.”</p><p>“You and your stupid mouth,” you gasped as he started to pound you into the mattress. “Mmph, Tetsurou, don’t stop, please!”</p><p>“You’re so nasty, you just gushed all over me when you said that. Do you hear it?”</p><p>You didn’t even have to strain to listen. You were sucking him in, and every time he pulled out, there was a hard squish as your walls clamped around him. The coil in your belly tightened and you moaned, earning a sharp intake of breath from him.</p><p>He pulled out for a moment and hooked his hands behind your right knee. You felt flushed at the new position. Your leg lifted high enough to curl around his upper back. He bore his weight down and sank in even deeper than before, a mischievous smile on his face when he saw your love-drunk expression. The angle hit that elusive spot and you started gasping his name. Kuroo groaned and gazed down at you through half-lidded eyes, grinding, thrusting, using your leg as leverage so he could bury himself in you over and over again.</p><p>“A-ah!”</p><p>Kuroo watched in delight as you came hard. Your body tensed up and you curled inward to keep him as close to you as possible. He saw the tremble of your shoulders, your heaving breaths, and the way your extra flesh jiggled with every slight shock to your system. Relief flooded throughout your body in a heady warmth, sending tingles down to every inch of your skin. You went limp once it was over and welcomed his overzealous kisses.</p><p>He made sure you weren't too sensitive and took another five minutes inside you before he came inside. He trembled and struggled to hold himself up with his intense release. Every single spurt was thick and coated you fully before dripping down and splattering with his last thrust. He pulled out with a sinful noise and his spent cock hung limply on the bed. He admired his work and reached over to drag a fingerful of his cum along your raw lips.</p><p>“You always look hot as hell when you're spent,” he laughed, stroking the inside of your tender thighs. “I'll never get sick of it.”</p><p>You weren’t sure you could move. Your legs felt like jelly. You struggled to sit up so you could go to the bathroom to clean up.</p><p>By the time you came back, Kuroo was struggling to stay awake. He barely lifted his head when you walked in. You crawled underneath the comforter with him and his bare skin warmed you up instantly. He turned toward you with a content look.</p><p>“We're lying to my grandparents and saying <i>I</i> asked <i>you</i> to marry me. I'd never live it down otherwise.”</p><p>“Okay, but everyone else is gonna know the truth.”</p><p>“Deal.”</p><p>You slept soundly and crept out of the house as soon as you got dressed. You took the walk of shame together as you boarded the earning morning train back to your place. You really hoped that the people around you weren't offended by the fact that neither of you had taken a shower after your midnight romp. You didn't have water in the house and you turned down Kuroo's idea of sneaking over to the Kozume household to ask. </p><p>That afternoon, you and Kuroo made the trip back to the area so you could inform his family of the news. You were nervous. You stopped on the way to bring some fresh food over as your initial excuse so they wouldn't be suspicious right away.</p><p>As they did on nearly every weekend, Kuroo's grandparents sat outside in the backyard. They had several bird feeders hanging from the trees and spent their day watching them flit around. They were sipping at tea and huddled underneath their favorite blankets, enjoying the sun and fresh air. Kuroo opened the back door and led you outside so you could greet them.</p><p>“Oh, what a wonderful surprise!” his grandmother cried. “We haven't seen you in months. Sit down, won't you?”</p><p>Kuroo grabbed a couple of spare chairs. “Dad said he was coming right out.”</p><p>“Is something the matter?”</p><p>“The opposite.” He grinned at her.</p><p>His father finally tore away from his work inside and nodded at you. “Morning. You're up rather early.”</p><p>“We couldn't wait to tell you guys the news.” Kuroo was uncharacteristically bashful, likely because he couldn't contain his excitement. “We're engaged.”</p><p>“About time!” his grandfather snapped. “I thought I was going to die before we had the wedding. This had better not be a long engagement, either. You two have been living in sin for ages.”</p><p>“Was this supposed to be a surprise?” His father got up and mussed Kuroo's hair for good measure. “I knew as soon as you walked in the door. She's not hiding the ring very well.”</p><p>“Oops.” You put it behind your back. “Sorry.”</p><p>“Oh, let me see. How beautiful.” His grandmother was teary-eyed when she looked it over. “It suits you very well.”</p><p>“So you're going to be a Kuroo then, hm?” His father eyed you. “Are you sure? It's not too late to back out now.”</p><p>“Dad…”</p><p>“I'm positive.” You laughed. “I think he owes me the last name for sticking around for so long.”</p><p>“That's for sure.” Kuroo leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. He couldn't stop grinning. “And don't worry, Gramps. We're not planning a big, fancy western wedding here.”</p><p>“I know you two would much rather see us have a traditional wedding and it's important that you're happy. You mean so much to us as our elders,” you added.</p><p>His grandfather looked a little taken aback, but his usual sharpness soon waned. “It'd damn well better be. All those frilly dresses and suits…bah! Kimono are elegant and simple, just as the wedding should be.”</p><p>“Thank you both. Ultimately, it is your decision, but we would love to have a traditional ceremony. It's what we've always dreamed of.” His grandmother squeezed your hand gently. “I can't wait to look at venues with your mother. I'm sure she'll be so excited. Are you two going to them next?”</p><p>“Yeah. Wanted to get your blessings first, of course.” Kuroo chuckled. “It's gonna be a busy day.”</p><p>You had breakfast with his family before heading to your parents' place. It was a little out of the way. Neither of them had any idea what they were in for when you showed up. </p><p>As soon as you broke the news, your mom screeched and threw the glass of water she was holding straight up into the air.</p><p>You and Kuroo were engulfed in a very strong group hug. Laughter and tears were shared all around. Your mom grilled you about everything to do for the wedding. Your dad took Kuroo outside so they could share a private conversation. You weren't sure what it entailed, but the two of them were misty-eyed when they came back.</p><p>You didn't think it would be quite so emotional. Saying the same things repeatedly was supposed to get old, right? Wrong. You were overwhelmed with joy when your parents gave you their full support. You made plans to meet up with Kuroo's family to discuss the next steps. Within the next few months, your families would be one. It was a very nice thought.</p><p>You traveled to Kenma's house next. His parents were much more subdued in their reactions, but they expressed how happy they were for you.</p><p>Kenma in particular looked relieved and content. You drew him into a hug and whispered into his shoulder that you were thankful for all of his help throughout the years. He assured you with a tight embrace that he couldn't be happier for you. He had been your biggest fan since he picked up on your feelings. Your union would bring him some much-needed closure for all the years he had to spend looking at you pine after each other.</p><p>“You know what that means, dude? You're gonna be included on all the errands we have to run.”</p><p>Kenma made a face and stifled a groan as you laughed.</p><p>Yaku's family was more than happy to welcome you into their home. The news made his mom tear up.</p><p>“It's like I'm giving my own daughter away!” she sniffled and dabbed at her eyes with the hem of her shirt.</p><p>“Get it out of your system now, dear, we can't have you do this during the entire reception.”</p><p>You timed it just right. Yaku was in Russia and barely getting up for the day when you called him. He was bleary-eyed at first. As soon as the words left your mouth, he was wide awake and gaping at the screen.</p><p>“You didn't tell me you were proposing!” he shouted at Kuroo. He wasn't actually angry, but somewhat hurt that he was out of the loop. “Don't you need permission from her family? That includes me!”</p><p>“Morisuke—”</p><p>“He's right.” Kuroo's face turned serious. “Big lil' bro, please give us your blessings.”</p><p>“Tetsurou—”</p><p>“BIG LIL' BRO?” Yaku repeated, turning red. “You're lucky I'm overseas right now. You need to respect your elders, Kuroo! I'm a whole three months older than you! If you don't get in good with me, I'll make your entire marriage hell!”</p><p>“I'm already looking forward to it. This is gonna be great. I'll be the annoying little big bro you've ever had.”</p><p>“I am <em>so</em> confused. Shouldn't he be the 'little big bro'? Since he's small, but older than you?”</p><p>“Hey!” Yaku squawked.</p><p>“Nah, we've gotta use his title first. It's like 'hey, big bro'. But we also need to keep his expectations in check, because he needs to know he's always gonna be shorter than me until the day we die.”</p><p>“This engagement is over!”</p><p>Watching them squabble only told you that things between you would never really change. That made you feel so much better.</p><p>“Hey! I'm lookin' for Mr. Coolest McCool! He around anywhere? He's about yea high, looks like an owl with frosted tips?”</p><p>Bokuto's practice had just ended when you showed up. You spotted him across the court and broke into a smile. He concentrated so hard on the drills that he hadn't even noticed you. Normally he would've heard your voice and bolted over to where you were so he could say hi. You were honestly proud that he was able to set aside all distractions and focus.</p><p>One of his teammates walked over and spun him around in your direction. Bokuto's eyes lit up and he crossed the court with a beaming smile.</p><p>“Hey, hey, hey!!! What are you guys doing here all the way out in Osaka?”</p><p>“Lookin' for you. Give you three guesses as to why.”</p><p>His eyes squinted as they flicked to and fro. “You guys are throwing me a surprise party?!”</p><p>“Oh…that would've been really cool. Sorry, Kou, we didn't.”</p><p>“HMMM…” He rubbed his chin aggressively. You laughed at how serious he was taking this. “You're gonna do a documentary about me! Wait! Write a book about me!”</p><p>“Dude. This isn't about you. Also, that's three guesses.”</p><p>“WAIT! NO! Th-that doesn't count. I…ummm…” He went quiet. </p><p>You got a little nervous with the way his entire demeanor changed. When you followed his line of sight, he had zeroed in on the engagement ring. You waited with bated breath for the information to sink in. When it did, what you got were fresh, bubbling tears falling from his eyes.</p><p>“Whoa, dude—”</p><p>“Kou—?” You grunted as he took you into a bear hug. Was he seriously even bigger than normal?! Between his height, his muscles and his armspan, you almost felt suffocated.</p><p>“Are you happy? Sad? Disappointed? I can't tell.” Kuroo scratched at his head and looked to the other team members on the court for help. They all shrugged their shoulders. “C'mon, man, don't make it weird.”</p><p>He dropped down to his knees and put his palm on your belly. “I can't believe I'm going to be an uncle!”</p><p>You and Kuroo were so shocked neither one of you said a word at first. He eventually broke the silence by laughing so hard he doubled over.</p><p>“It surprised me too, Bokuto, I had no idea, guess it's my fault for only using the pull-out method—”</p><p>“STOP!” you shouted at both of them. “I'm not pregnant! Tetsurou, don't make it worse!”</p><p>“B-but why else would you two suddenly get engaged?” Bokuto stammered, his eyes dewy and voice hoarse.</p><p>“It isn't 'all of a sudden', what the hell.” Kuroo was still wavering between being offended and laughing his ass off. “I've been planning this for months. Sorry to burst your bubble.”</p><p>Akaashi's reaction was the complete opposite. No drama, no accusations you had a bun in the oven. His eyes twinkled with mirth as he congratulated the both of you.</p><p>“Thank you for…um…” You hesitated to go into much more detail with Kuroo around. He had no idea about the confession you made to Akaashi all those days ago. “You know, helping me out. What you said really made a difference. We wouldn't be here without you.”</p><p>“I'm just glad it worked out.” He drew you in for a quick embrace. “Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help you with the preparations.”</p><p>“You're so sweet, Kei. I don't know what I'd do without you.”</p><p>Kaori and Yukie were thrilled. Kaori was excited enough to share her Pinterest board, which you didn't even know existed. She had all kinds of ideas for the outfits you would wear after the ceremony. You would be expected to change at least a couple of times, after all. Yukie was already giving suggestions for the menu at the reception, because <em>apparently</em> she had also been planning things on the down-low over the years.</p><p>“We need to buy the wedding kimono STAT!”</p><p>“I know the perfect place,” Yukie added. “They have beautiful kimono on display all the time. That's where tons of girls go. I guess the owner is a little hard to deal with, but she's been in business for a long time and knows what's up.”</p><p>You were relieved they were so on top of things. “That's great. I'll have to call and book an appointment. We're not necessarily in a rush, but Tetsurou's grandparents aren't getting any younger.”</p><p>“Yeah, when are you guys looking at having the ceremony?”</p><p>Kuroo shrugged. “Sometime in the spring would be nice.”</p><p>That night, you scrolled through your contacts and tried to get everyone else out of the way. You didn't want anyone to feel left out before Kuroo posted something official on his social media page.</p><p>“Hi, Minoru…”</p><p>“I'm so glad you called! I was just thinking about you. I can't believe how long it's been since we've talked. I hope you're doing well.”</p><p>“I am! Actually, I wanted to let you know that Tetsurou and I are engaged…”</p><p>“WOW! That is AMAZING news! I can't say I'm surprised, but I am so thankful you've chosen to have a wedding. I promise I'll block off my schedule so I can attend! If…you'd still like me there, of course.”</p><p>“Minoru, don't be silly. You're one of our closest friends. We would love to have you there. Once we have the date set, I'll let you know.”</p><p>Kuroo's post generated a lot of attention from his former teammates and high school friends. The Nekoma team had always been kind to you (after your first year) and they were all excited to hear their former captain was tying the knot. You were humbled by the outpouring of support from so many people who came into your lives. Kuroo had always been popular, and for good reason. He was a great role model and mentor for his underclassmen and friends alike.</p><p>You were also grateful because Kuroo wasn't the 'you do you, honey, I'll just let you handle it!' type of guy. He genuinely wanted to be involved. Even though he was often overpowered by your female relatives and friends, he wasn't happy to bow out. He wanted the ceremony and reception to be comfortable for both of you, and not leave you with so much to do that you felt overwhelmed. Plus, he was always good about sticking up for you when your voice was drowned out.</p><p>You sat down at the computer and scrolled through albums of photos. Kuroo sat next to you on the couch with a bag of chips in hand.</p><p>“Whatcha doin'?”</p><p>“I'm trying to find a decent pic of me. I have to submit it before my appointment for the dress shop.” You sighed and stifled a groan. “The assistant was pretty insistent that it should be a full-body photo. I tend to take a <em>lot</em> of selfies from an above angle…you know…gotta keep that double chin in check. And I almost never have pics of me showing off outfits. You're the one who takes those, and they're all super unflattering!”</p><p>“No way, I've got an eye for photography.”</p><p>“Really? Then that's this?” You pulled up one that was clearly his doing. He had snapped a picture of you during the summer. The outfit was cute, but your face was not. “You don't know my angles, Tetsurou. My mouth is open and I look like I'm about to sneeze.”</p><p>He laughed and crammed more chips into his mouth. You stole one from his bag before returning to the screen.</p><p>“Sounds like a lot of work for one appointment.”</p><p>“It is. But if it helps her pick out some patterns that will make me look good, then I don't mind it so much. I don't wear formal clothing like…ever, so I want to make sure that these wedding pictures turn out well.”</p><p>You finally selected a few shots that were decent. It was embarrassing to forward them to the assistant with the appointment so far in advance. She said it was typical of the owner to request these things as quickly as possible, only because they had so many bridal appointments during the year. You understood that.</p><p>“So we're all set on Meiji?”</p><p>“Yeah. Your dad was nice enough to drive up there to speak with them in person.” You glanced over at the calendar on the wall. “I'm just surprised that they had an opening in the beginning of April. You would think a lot of couples would want to get married around the time that the cherry blossoms bloom.”</p><p>“That reminds me…” He looked up from his phone. “I got a call from the flower shop. They said you went with peach blossoms for the reception. I thought for sure you'd want something a little more…I dunno, grown up? Those are usually for girls' festivals.”</p><p>“Okay, well,” you started, your face getting warm. “I was talking with your dad the other night and he said that you used to love going to this park with your mom when you were a kid. He said he got so tired of sweeping up the peach blossoms you guys would drag in. I thought it would be a nice idea, you know, just so she's included somehow.”</p><p>Kuroo put the bag down on the table. He wiped his hands on the legs of his pants and leaned over to you. You made a face because you knew that there was still oil all over his fingers. He squished your cheeks together and pulled you into a kiss that ended up knocking your phone off the couch. It fell down with a clatter, but neither of you really cared.</p><p>“Why're you so good to me?”</p><p>“’Cuz I love you, dummy.”</p><p>Your entourage met up with you at the kimono shop a few months later. You were nervous and excited about trying on different outfits. What kind of vision did the owner have for you? What kind of colors would adorn your body? You tried to remind yourself to be open-minded. They were the experts.</p><p>“I think this is everyone!” Kaori looked around with her hands on her hips. “Are you guys ready to go in?”</p><p>“Yup!” they chorused.</p><p>You reached forward for the door and tugged on the handle. You were a little surprised at how hard it was to open. You tugged a few more times and realized that it wasn't you; it was locked.</p><p>“Are you sure they're open? Did we get the wrong date?” You pulled your phone out and worriedly looked through the calendar and slew of emails you’d exchanged with the assistant.</p><p>“Maybe they're on their lunch break still?”</p><p>“It's past our appointment time.” Yukie pushed her way forward and knocked hard on the glass with her knuckles. She cupped her hands over her face as she pressed it against the door to get a better look inside. “Someone's coming.”</p><p>The person who answered the door had a flat expression. “Can I help you?”</p><p>“We've got a one o' clock appointment today.” Kaori flashed her phone screen. “See?”</p><p>The assistant searched along the crowd until her eyes settled on you. You felt the blood drain from your face when her upper lip curled.</p><p>“There's been a scheduling conflict. Unfortunately, your appointment has been canceled.”</p><p>“Huh?” Kaori was flabbergasted. “None of us got a notice about that. We booked months in advance.”</p><p>“No one's even around,” Yukie added. She gestured to the empty space surrounding the shop front.</p><p>“Wait, girls,” Kuroo's grandmother shushed them. “There was a miscommunication. It happens. When may we reschedule for?”</p><p>The assistant's jaw clicked. “There will not be another appointment. Now please leave, we have other customers waiting.”</p><p>The door shut and she locked it again for good measure. All of you were stunned.</p><p>“What the hell was that about?” your mom grumbled. “This place was supposed to be crème of the crop. They turned us away like we were trash.”</p><p>“I don't get it. What did we do? All of us have been super polite in our messages. We gave them everything they wanted.”</p><p>You didn't know what to think. You were honestly devastated that you'd been turned away. You had been looking forward to this day for a long while. You wished you knew the reason why you were being snubbed so hard.</p><p>“Forget this place. There's tons of them in Tokyo, she's not our only choice.” Yaku's mom scoffed and repositioned her purse over her shoulder. “In fact, there's another a few blocks from here. If we can't be seen today, I'm sure we can make an appointment. Let's go.”</p><p>You left the store with mixed feelings. You were too embarrassed to glance over your shoulder and sneak a glance at it. It was a shame. The kimono on display were beautiful, just like Yukie said.</p><p>You were the last one to wander up to the building where Yaku's mom was attempting to introduce herself to the shop owner. It wasn't going well.</p><p>“Sorry, we're fully booked today and the rest of this week.”</p><p>“Alright, what about next?”</p><p>“I think you would find better luck at another store, dear.”</p><p>Kaori and Yukie were both on their phones, hitting up friends who they knew had gotten married in recent years. They compiled a long list of places, organizing your stops so you could hit all of them in a day. </p><p>You bounced from place to place, and the result was always the same. You were turned away, without explanation, and forced onto the street as if you had committed a serious crime.</p><p>“Okay, now I'm getting upset!” Kaori huffed. “What is going on? It feels like this is personal!”</p><p>“It does…” Yukie trailed off and put a hand to her chin, rubbing thoughtfully. “I've got an idea.”</p><p>You felt silly joining Yukie and Kuroo's grandmother dressed in an oversized coat and with a surgical mask on. You only wore them in public when you were sick. Yukie slipped on her pair of shades for good measure. Your face was completely hidden as all three of you wandered into the shop.</p><p>“Hello. How can I help you?” </p><p>“Hi. I was wondering if you guys had any openings for a bridal kimono fitting.”</p><p>“Oh, of course. We're actually free right now. Are you the lucky one getting married?”</p><p>“Yep. This is my sister and grandma, they're here to help me out.” Yukie shot you a slow wink before returning her attention to the front desk. “I actually have a friend who's getting married soon. If you don't mind, I'd like to make an appointment for her, too.”</p><p>“Wonderful. Do you happen to have a picture we can put on file?”</p><p>Yukie pulled one up and flashed it to her. “Is this okay?”</p><p>The woman stared at her screen for some time. She gave Yukie a wobbly smile and excused herself. You watched her head to the back room and reach for the phone. She kept her voice down so you couldn't hear what she was saying, but the conversation looked unpleasant. By the time she hung up and made her way back to the front, she bowed respectfully.</p><p>“I am very sorry, we need to close the shop for the day.”</p><p>“Is everything okay?”</p><p>“Yes. I'll have to ask you to leave.”</p><p>Getting kicked out for the hundredth time didn't sting any less. You wandered out to the sidewalk and tried to brush it off. Yukie approached the group and all of them were waiting with bated breath.</p><p>“We've been blacklisted,” she said simply. “Not us, specifically, but <em>her.</em>” She pointed at you.</p><p>“What? Why?” Your mother was already on the defensive and ready to fight anyone who would discriminate against you. “What happened?”</p><p>“Everything was fine until I showed her this picture.” She flashed it to the group. It was the same one you’d submitted to the original shop. “As soon as she saw it, she freaked out and called someone. They told her to kick us out. I've been learning to lip read.”</p><p>You took a few moments to let the information sink in.</p><p>“So you're telling me that every single shop in Tokyo is in on this? All of the owners know each other and are fine with turning us away? That's awful.” Kaori shook her head in disgust. “They must have you confused with someone else. You've never done anything to anyone. All those old ladies at your old complex adored you. So what's the big idea?”</p><p>You frowned. “I honestly have no idea. I didn't realize there was someone out there who had such a big problem with me.”</p><p>“Well, I watched her dial the number of the first shop we went to.” Yukie crossed her arms and realized you were all staring at her. “What? I spend a lot of time people-watching when I'm trying to lip read. Whoever owns the first shop is the one who has a grudge, because the assistant was nice to you for ages even after she saw your picture.”</p><p>You decided to grab something warm to drink as you settled down and did some snooping. You wracked your brain for any kind of mistake you’d made over the years that warranted this punishment. You couldn't think of any. </p><p>“I looked at the website, but it doesn't have any kind of picture or biography. It's actually pretty outdated.” Kaori bit on her thumb as she continued to scroll. “But it has her name. I'll try to see if I can find any clues on who she is and how you might've run into her.”</p><p>From across the table, Yukie started laughing. “Guys, listen to this. She did an interview for the local paper a few years back. She was complaining about a couple of teenagers making out around the shrine on New Year's Eve.”</p><p>Your blood turned to ice. You thrust your hand forward and snatched Yukie's phone away from her. She let out a brief cry of protest before she recognized the severity of your expression. You scanned over the printed text and your eyes widened a fraction with every second that passed.</p><p>“…sacred land…shameless teenagers…fled the scene…oh, no…”</p><p>“What? What is it?”</p><p>You swallowed hard and somehow found the courage to lift your eyes to face them. “This was about me and Tetsurou.”</p><p>“Are you for REAL?” Kaori ended up in a fit of giggles. “So…wait…you think that she's held a grudge about it after all this time?”</p><p>“That wasn't the last time we'd seen her. She found us doing the same thing recently…”</p><p>Your mom sighed and put a hand over her face. “I thought I raised you better than that.”</p><p>“MOM! It wasn't like that…we were just kissing, I swear! But…I mean…not like, PG kissing…” You couldn't go any further. You were ashamed of yourself, more so because Kuroo's grandmother was sitting there sipping at her tea. “I'm sorry!!!”</p><p>Kuroo's grandmother set her cup down on the saucer and turned her gaze on you. “When Tetsurou's grandfather and I were young, we would sneak out of school and meet each other down by the riverbank. There was a beautiful spot he found where we could be alone. We would spend our afternoons talking, sharing snacks, <em>and</em> fooling around with each other. Women from my generation like to rewrite the past. I know this Kobayashi Fumiko. She and I were in the same grade. She had plenty of boyfriends growing up, and I know for a fact that her relationships were never as chaste as she claims. She was quite wild until she finally settled down…and only after she found out she was pregnant. To my knowledge, she was the one who wanted to keep the child. Her in-laws suggested getting rid of it and treating her as a dirty little secret…unless she married into the family. It was a nasty affair. Her boyfriend was from an affluential family and her father was a fishmonger. Marriage was kind to her and she mellowed with age, but her in-laws were very strict as she settled into the family. I truly believe that she adopted their views on life because they wouldn't have accepted her otherwise.”</p><p>You all took a moment for her words to sink in. “To be fair, I know she had a point,” you sighed. “Tetsurou and I were reckless and kind of disrespectful. I don't blame her for blacklisting me, but I want the chance to make it right.”</p><p>“I can help you with that. After we finish up here, let's go back to her shop. This time, I'll do the talking.”</p><p>Everyone was chatting away and trying to make light of the situation so you wouldn't get too down on yourself. Was there any use in feeling guilty? Probably not. You and Kuroo were acting typical for your age at the time and you thought it was all a joke. You never entertained the thought that she would be genuinely angry at you or take it this far.</p><p>Kuroo called you as the others were at the front, grabbing some to-go snacks and paying for the meal. You stepped outside and answered him quietly.</p><p>“Hey, how's the fitting going? I haven't gotten any pictures so I guess you haven't found anything you like yet?”</p><p>“About that…” you trailed off. “Tetsurou, do you remember that super intense old lady who chased us out of the alley the night we got back together?”</p><p>“What about her?”</p><p>“Well, she owns the dress shop and she wasn't happy when she saw my face. She basically made sure everyone in Tokyo knew to turn us away.”</p><p>He was silent for a moment. “You're shitting me, right?”</p><p>“No, I'm not. Your grandma says she knows her. We're going to her shop to try and talk with her. I just wanted to let you know.”</p><p>“I'll be down there in like fifteen minutes.”</p><p>“Tetsurou—”</p><p>“Just wait for me.”</p><p>He hung up before you could protest any more. He was so stubborn. You sighed and shared the news with his grandmother, who was unsurprised.</p><p>Kuroo met you outside of the shop. He was out getting his hakama fitted with his dad and swore that he'd just finished up before he called. You were ecstatic to see him and you knew he felt the same. You exchanged some withering looks before you followed his grandma inside the store.</p><p>“Welcome, how can we—” The assistant froze when she saw you. “E-excuse me, the shop is—”</p><p>“I'd like to speak with Micchan.”</p><p>Whoa. They were on a nickname basis? You had no idea. Kuroo's grandmother had never looked so fierce before. You always knew her as the balm to his grandfather's burning rage and acidic tongue. She never treated you unfairly when you would come around the house. </p><p>When Mrs. Kobayashi walked out, you felt like you were a child over again, and you were about to get the scolding of a lifetime. She looked older than the last time you stumbled on each other, which made sense considering how long it'd been. The wrinkles were deep-set into her scowling face. Her hands were gnarled as she gripped her cane and tottered forward. Despite the dark aura to her, she still looked refined and her movements were graceful. She hobbled to the front desk and ignored you and Kuroo like you were mere insects she had no desire to even swat at.</p><p>“Micchan, it's been a while,” Kuroo's grandmother began. “I see you've met my grandson.”</p><p>“Oh, yes. On occasion.” The sneer on her face was palpable. “I should have recognized him the moment we met. Smug, self-absorbed, crude. He takes after you.”</p><p>As much as her statement angered you, you held your tongue when it came to defending Kuroo. The both of you were on the same page.</p><p>“Mrs. Kobayashi, please pardon the interruption, but Tetsurou and I want to sincerely apologize for our actions.” Without even conferring with each other, you both dropped into a deep bow. “We were reckless growing up and we hurt you deeply. We take full responsibility and beg for your forgiveness.”</p><p>“No one said you could speak.” Mrs. Kobayashi dismissed you entirely. “Why have you come here? Did you think you would convince me to let these ungrateful children shop in my store?”</p><p>Kuroo's grandmother patted your back and encouraged you to stand straight. You were disheartened with how your words meant nothing. “I came here to formally challenge you, Micchan. We never did have our one-on-one match. Should I win, then you will forgive my grandson and his fiancée.”</p><p>Her nostrils flared. “You always were the sly one. Fine.”</p><p>“What…just happened?” Kuroo trailed after his grandmother as she walked out. “What kind of challenge did you just make?”</p><p>“Micchan and I used to play on the same tennis team,” she responded lightly. “We were rivals, you could say. We argued about who was the better player. Now we'll find out.”</p><p>”This can't be real,” Kuroo muttered.</p><p>A few days later, you found yourself at a tennis court. Kuroo's family were all present. He was bewildered to see that his grandmother was prepared. She broke out her old tennis racket, shoes, and was sporting a pretty cute outfit that you helped her pick out. It was supposed to help her move around without being “too immodest”. </p><p>Mrs. Kobayashi came with a few friends of her own. You had to admit, it was funny seeing them roll up together. You wondered if they ever wore matching jackets when they were younger, one with little sewn on patches and a goofy name embroidered on the back.</p><p>“Playing dirty already, I see!” Mrs. Kobayashi hollered across the court. “Why did you bring him here?!”</p><p>“We've been married for forty years, Micchan. Get over it!”</p><p>“Never! You stole him from me and you know it!”</p><p>You tried so hard not to laugh. “Oh my god. They're so old and so full of drama from their teens. So your grandpa was a player and there was a love triangle we never knew about.”</p><p>Kuroo's grandfather glowered in her direction and adjusted his hat. “Show her how it's done!”</p><p>“I feel like I'm in a sports anime,” Kuroo deadpanned.</p><p>“I know, right?”</p><p>Mrs. Kobayashi walked across the court. She looked so feeble and weak as she struggled to maintain her balance with her cane. You and Kuroo watched as she suddenly threw it off to the side. It hit the ground with a clatter and she straightened her back. She swung the racket and lowered her hips to swing back and forth on either foot. You struggled to comprehend what it was you were looking at. </p><p>“GET HER, MICCHAN!”</p><p>“You thought I was retired? Think again!” Mrs. Kobayashi cackled. “I've been waiting for this moment!”</p><p>“Dude. What the hell is going on?”</p><p>“Just go with it, Tetsurou.”</p><p>Was tennis supposed to be this intense? You'd never gone to a game in your life. Kuroo's sport was volleyball and that was all you were familiar with. Both old women were exchanging insults with each other across the net as they thwacked the ball over the net. They were brutal, so much that you felt sorry for their rackets. Each blow exchanged left you gaping. Even scarier? Both of them were no longer the quiet, unassuming biddies that you were used to looking after. Either they had somehow become infused by the spirit of their youth or they were running on pure adrenaline, because those old bones rolled around the court like they had nothing else to live for.</p><p>Mrs. Kobayashi missed the ball with an underhanded swing and she screeched in dismay. You glanced over at the scoreboard. They had been pretty close the entire time. She had the upper hand for a while, but that luck was coming to a close.</p><p>“It's not over yet,” she huffed. “I WON'T LOSE TO YOU AGAIN!”</p><p>“I'm so glad I never had to deal with a real love rival…” you muttered. “This is just sad. Imagine being that age and still bitter about something like an old boyfriend.”</p><p>The sun swept over the sky and the day waned. Mrs. Kobayashi was exhausted and so was Kuroo's grandmother. They huffed with their hands on their knees, sweat pouring from their faces. If Kuroo's grandmother won this game, she would take the final set and the match would be over. </p><p>With an earth-shattering roar, Mrs. Kobayashi made her serve. You could've sworn you saw some green fuzz fly off the ball once she hit it with a sickening crack. Kuroo's grandmother waited for the perfect moment before she swung her racket. You watched in awe as it hit the other side of the court – too far from where her opponent could reach. Mrs. Kobayashi dove to try and save it, but it was too late. The match was over.</p><p>You rushed over to congratulate Kuroo's grandmother. She was clearly worn out, but very proud of her victory. Her husband walked over and patted her head. Considering the two of them were so private and avoided PDA, that might as well have been a full-blown makeout session. Mrs. Kobayashi was surrounded by her friends who were doing their best to comfort her.</p><p>“I see you still have your wits about you…” Mrs. Kobayashi grunted. “I never go back on my word. You two.” She crooked her finger. “Come over here.”</p><p>You slunk over with your tails between your legs. Once again, you both dropped down into the most formal, apologetic bow you could. </p><p>“Mrs. Kobayashi, please forgive us.”</p><p>She sighed. “I can't very well turn you away. I did some background checks on you and found you are much more well-adjusted than I thought you were.”</p><p>You didn't want to know how she got that information. Who had she paid? Who had she threatened? You briefly wondered if your friends were okay.</p><p>“For years I dreamed of the moment where I could hold you two accountable in front of your families. But if I deny you this, then that means I'm complicit with you carrying on with your shameless, out-of-wedlock shenanigans. Fine. You may come to my shop for the bridal kimono. If you are a minute late, then I will refuse you.”</p><p>“Thank you,” you said in unison. </p><p>You never felt more at ease than you did in that moment. Even if Mrs. Kobayashi was intense and slightly scary, she was the type of woman who had been through quite a lot in her life. You respected her a lot for entertaining you at all. Things could've been much worse.</p><p>Spring was always an exciting time. It brushed away the lingering frosty grip of winter and encouraged new sprouts to rise from the gnarled remains buried beneath the earth. Sunbeams and scattered showers paved way for a new beginning.</p><p>Settled in the heart of the evergreen forest, Meiji shrine was a tranquil oasis. Nature claimed this place and never let go after all these years that humanity attempted to trample over it. Its atmosphere was quiet, collected, and the perfect place for self-reflection, worship, and the pursuit of inner peace.</p><p>From the distance, a procession took place. The stark white bridal kimono and cap reflected brightly against the flourishing foliage. It was accompanied by the appropriate black hakama adorned with the family crest. Both of you walked at a leisurely pace down the unpaved road toward the shrine. Following you were guests handpicked to witness the ceremony. The women from each family donned simple kimono so as not to upstage the bride. Though the mood was serious, it was far from solemn. Bubbling beneath the surface of their placid expressions was pride, excitement and love.</p><p>Inside the building, the Shinto priests performed the necessary rituals to begin the wedding. Purification ensured no evil spirits would be present. Food offerings and prayer initiated the ceremony itself. All of you watched with rapt attention as they sought blessings for you.</p><p>The sake cups were filled with the sleight of a hand and presented to Kuroo first, then to you. You were demonstrating the bond between you through the shared drink. Your parents participated next. With their actions, your families were intertwined.</p><p>In front of the altar, Kuroo steeled himself as he prepared his speech. His vows to you were something he had been agonizing over for the past few months. He wanted it to be more casual, but noting the setting and the present company, he decided to set aside his cheekiness for one day and be honest.</p><p>“While I can't thank all of our friends and family enough for the role they played in getting us together, I wanted to make sure Kenma knows how grateful I am that he helped us through the years. We wouldn't be here without him. Thank you for being an incredible friend and brother to the both of us.”</p><p>He paused and sucked in a deep breath before continuing, his eyes locking with yours. “My greatest accomplishment in life is becoming your husband. You will <em>never</em> know how much of an impact you've had on me and I owe everything to you. I cherish you, your kindness, your strength and your beauty, and that feeling only grows with every year that passes by. I promise to support and care for you for the rest of our lives.”</p><p>Your families expressed their happiness with his words. The priest placed an evergreen branch on the altar. You and Kuroo offered your own items, as did your fathers. </p><p>With shaky hands, the rings were brought forth and exchanged between you. You couldn't pry your eyes away from the sight of your matching bands. </p><p>The wedding prayers asked for your health, happiness, safety and a blessing for future children. You felt a little pressured at that last part, but Kuroo's expression only told you that it was a conversation for another day. What was the rush? You had all the time in the world.</p><p>Nothing really prepared you for what you would feel in this moment. It sank in that not only was the ceremony over, but you were <em>married</em>. You were his <em>wife</em>. He was your <em>husband</em>. Giddiness blossomed in your chest and you struggled to keep the tears at bay, lest you ruin the gorgeous makeup they spent hours perfecting.</p><p>You shed the white kimono and were pulled into something far more flamboyant and appropriate for the occasion. You hadn't told Kuroo, but the pattern you chose included peach blossoms. He probably wouldn't notice unless you said something. You didn't mind. You chose it because you knew that the flowers themselves would wither away, and this beautiful clothing would be a permanent reminder of his mother's presence, in spirit, at your wedding.</p><p>The reception was held at a restaurant not too far from the shrine. The shrine didn't allow more than a handful of people to witness the actual ceremony, so the rest of your friends and extended family were waiting for you. You stepped out of the car as Kuroo helped you out. He couldn't keep the big grin off his face.</p><p>“Hey, hot stuff~”</p><p>“Is that any way to talk to a married woman?” You mirrored his expression. “Shameless!”</p><p>“Don't start sounding like Mrs. Kobayashi. Give me another fifty years to prepare.”</p><p>As soon as you walked into the room, everyone cheered. You scanned the room and saw a sea of familiar faces. Knowing so many of them showed up to your big day was slightly overwhelming. You were descended upon by Kaori and Yukie before you could blink. Akaashi stood off to the side so he too could give his congratulations.</p><p>“I'm s-so ha-happy,” Kaori sobbed, her mascara already running down her face. She had a tissue clenched in her fist. “I can't believe it. You're Mrs. Kuroo now.”</p><p>“You know it.” You weren’t afraid to embrace the title. “I've been practicing writing my name and everything.”</p><p>“Now all we need are cute little kids running around.” Yukie wrapped her arms around yours. “I would love to see how big your boobs get then.”</p><p>“Yukie—” you stammered. “Please.”</p><p>“Just kidding. I'm happy with the size of mine. Although I won't say no if you have some to spare. I’m open to donations.”</p><p>Akaashi was all too happy to receive an embrace from you. “Kuroo is very lucky. I can’t say I don’t envy him.”</p><p>“Thank you, Kei.” It felt sincere coming from him and you felt a little bashful because of it. “So are you going to keep calling me by my maiden name, or my married name?”</p><p>“I'll use your first name. I don't want you to get confused.”</p><p>You glanced over and saw Kuroo was bombarded by his other friends. He and Bokuto were babbling about something or another. It ended up as it always did – with the two of them laughing and solidifying their “partners in crime” status.</p><p>“I hope I'm not too late. I'm looking for the Kuroo wedding.”</p><p>You whirled around and rushed over to the person who came in the door. “Morisuke!” He let out an <em>oof!</em> when you nearly tackled him into the floor. “You really made it!”</p><p>“My coach let me take some time off to see you. I wouldn't miss this for the world.” He stepped back to admire your outfit and the softness to his gaze made you even more emotional. “Mrs. Kuroo, huh? I still can't wrap my head around it.”</p><p>Kuroo slunk over and took you by the waist, almost possessively. “Little big bro! What would our wedding reception be without you?”</p><p>“You're on thin ice, Kuroo!”</p><p>“Me? What did I do?” you joked.</p><p>“Wh—you know what I mean! <em>That </em>Kuroo, not <em>you</em>!”</p><p>“We're a matching set now. You can't separate us. See?” Kuroo pulled you even tighter and you followed his example, winding yourself around him.</p><p>Yaku chuckled wearily. “You two are going to be even harder to stomach now.”</p><p>You drank in the rest of the crowd. You had friends from high school and college who made the trip, of course, but also several coworkers. Every single table was full of people who wanted to make sure you knew that they were here for you. Normally this type of clamor would've been too much for you, but the adrenaline that kicked in only reminded you that this was a special occasion.</p><p>Food was piled high. Drinks were endless. Your seats near the back of the room, overlooking the crowds, were given a backdrop of various flowers and decorations. Gifts from your guests were big and small, filling out the empty space of the restaurant as the table struggled to contain them all. Whatever they decided to give you, you were humbled with the generosity from your guests.</p><p>“I didn’t even get to say hi to Kou yet.” You slipped away from the two of them. “Be right back!”</p><p>Bokuto asked to bring several of his teammates to the reception, which you were perfectly fine with. He sat with them and was engrossed in a story one of them was in the midst of. You did feel a little bad for interrupting, but you couldn’t help yourself. Seeing him was more of a hassle since he traveled so much. You would take what you could get.</p><p>“Kou!”</p><p>His eyes lit up and he separated himself from the group immediately. You basked in the familiarity of his hug. He gave the best ones. You didn’t even mind that the force of it nearly knocked your hair ornaments askew. You pulled back just enough so you could take a good look at him. He was smiling from ear to ear.</p><p>“Did you see my gift yet? Did you open it? I hope you like it! Everyone on the team helped me pick it out!”</p><p>You giggled. “Not yet. I’m sure I’ll love it.” You gave his friends a short wave. “Thank you for coming. It’s nice to see Kou’s so close with his teammates.”</p><p>“Bokkun said ya were pretty, had no idea how right he was,” the blond one showed you a lazy smile. “Kind’ve a shame yer off the market now. Though I s’pose he wouldn’t like that too much. He did say he had a big ol’ crush on this girl who’d never give him the time’a day—”</p><p>“HEY!” Bokuto shouted as his face turned about ten shades of red in under a second. Impressive. “I didn’t—don’t listen to him! He’s a liar!!!”</p><p>You brushed his comment off with a nod. “It’s okay, Kou. I know they’re just teasing you. In any case, I would be insanely lucky if someone like Koutarou ever had a thing for me. Have you seen him? He’s the perfect catch! Don’t tell my husband, though. He might not look like it, but he does get pretty jealous.”</p><p>Bokuto’s chest puffed out with pride. He was undoubtedly flattered with your compliment. You meant every word of it. Bokuto never made it a secret that he liked you when you were in high school. He said as much on more than one occasion. What you loved about him was that despite his unrequited feelings, he never once tossed you aside. He genuinely cared about you, and not just under the pretext of a crush.</p><p>Just as he promised, Minoru made it to your reception. His endless positive energy fit the atmosphere well.</p><p>“Congratulations!” he exclaimed, bringing both of you in a rib-crushing hug. “I’m so proud of you both. Especially you, Tetsurou! I suppose I’ll just have to call off my search since you have someone to keep you off the streets!” He pulled his wallet out and unfolded a worn piece of paper to hand it to you. “I always did like teasing you about it.”</p><p>The picture on the flier made you bust out laughing. It was the poster of the supposed pervert that prowled the streets all those years ago. Minoru had been so dead set on apprehending him. You and Kuroo assumed that he never put two and two together.</p><p>“You knew? For how long?” he sputtered.</p><p>“It didn’t take more than a few outings with you two to catch onto it. Tetsurou has always been handsy with you, especially when he thinks no one is looking. I caught both of you making out behind someone’s garden wall once. I thought for sure the pervert had come back to assault you. Imagine my surprise when I found Tetsurou instead! I tried to keep the joke going in the hopes you would stop being so forward with each other in public…I should have known better.”</p><p>You were screaming inside as the reality of what he said crashed down on you. “Minoru…I have so much respect for you. You managed to troll my husband after all these years.”</p><p>“Ha!” He ruffled Kuroo’s hair and gave you both a smile that was worthy of being plastered on billboards. “And I won’t ever let him forget it!”</p><p>You were in high spirits until you saw a familiar figure slink into the restaurant. He wasn't dressed for the occasion in the slightest. In a ratty hoodie, jeans and Converse, he walked straight toward you with a wrapped gift. Your heart sank and you wished that you could hide behind someone before he cornered you. No such luck.</p><p>"I heard around the office that your wedding was today. I wanted to let you know that I'm happy for you." He extended the box to you with a lopsided smile. "And just so you know, I don't mind that you're married. I have to admit, I've always been into NTR–"

</p><p>"Oi. What's the big idea?" a voice growled out from behind you. "Who's this loser?"</p><p>"Tora! Um...this is my coworker, he works in the manga department."</p><p>Yamamoto wasted no time in leaning over and baring his teeth like a dog. "Get lost. What kind of creep hits on a chick who just got married? You're lucky I don't throw you out the window."</p><p>Your coworker wasn't fazed at all. "I'm not doing anything wrong. It's nice she and her boyf...I mean, husband, made it official. Anyway, I should be going. I'll see you when you come back from your honeymoon!" He slithered away before Yamamoto could get his hands on him.</p><p>"Goddamn freak..." Yamamoto spat. "You okay?"</p><p>"I'm fine. Thank you." You beamed at him. "You're amazing, Tora."</p><p>He grumbled and rubbed along the shaved side of his head. "Just tryin' to protect you. You've always been one of us as far as I'm concerned. Guys like that don't care if you're mean to them, not when they're that delusional. Sorry you have to deal with that. If he bugs you again, let me know. I've got ways to get him to stop and they all include a one-way ticket to the hospital. He can't hit on you if he's in a coma."</p><p>You and Kuroo finally settled in your designated spots after greeting everyone you could. You prepared yourselves for the inevitable slew of toasts you would be forced to listen to. You were a little worried that some of them would get rowdy. They had been drinking, after all.</p><p>“A toast to Mr. and Mrs. Kuroo!” one of his coworkers shouted. “The Rooster-Haired Bastard’s one weakness!”</p><p>“You should’ve never told them about that nickname…” Kuroo told you through a tense smile made of clenched teeth. “They won’t stop using it.”</p><p>“You brought this on yourself, <em>dear.</em> I had to retaliate once you told them about the incident with the lizard that you threw at me and how it jumped down my shirt.”</p><p>Kaori took the microphone that was being passed around from table to table. She looked a little out of it and nearly lost her balance, but Yukie was there to prop her up. “My gosh. Look at you two. When I first met you, I was like, she is so cool. And when I first met Kuroo, I was like, um, ew?”</p><p>Everyone laughed except Kuroo.</p><p>“But that was because I didn’t know him very well! Once I got to know both of you, I saw how much you really loved each other. It was honestly hard to watch sometimes. You guys don’t know about how much PINING there was on both sides.” She realized her rant was getting a little off track and cleared her throat. “You two were destined to meet and fall in love, I just know it. Now can you <em>please</em> pass the torch so some of us can get our shot at romance?! I’m so sick of waiting for Mr. Right, I’d settle for Mr. Halfway Decent!”</p><p>A ripple of laughter ran along the crowd. You were mortified and amused all at once. Kaori sat down and started to fan her face from how hot it’d gotten under the limelight. At least someone passed her some water so she wouldn’t end up with a splitting headache.</p><p>“You guys survived puberty together. Enough said.” Yukie dropped the mic. You could not stop laughing at how much attitude she managed to pour into two sentences.</p><p>You watched with wide eyes as Kenma willingly took the microphone. He was slouched over and trying very hard to hide his face from the crowd who zeroed in on him.</p><p>“I just wanted to say…I’m proud of you two. That’s all.” He nearly flung the microphone to the next person before sinking down into his seat.</p><p>“Kenma…you’ve come such a long way!” Yaku patted his back, his eyes glistening. “That was a beautiful speech!”</p><p>“Don’t cry…people are staring.”</p><p>Mr. Dobashi was all too happy to share a few words. “I was very blessed to have you as a student. Seeing you blossom and share your life with the very same boy who used to pick you up every day after school…it’s such a surreal feeling. I know your grandmother would have loved this more than anything.”</p><p>You changed once more before the night was over. All of the kimono that Mrs. Kobayashi chose for you were absolutely beautiful. You couldn’t thank her enough for being patient with you during the process. Not even once did she make you feel sorry for yourself because you weren’t as slender as her usual clientele. To her, it didn’t matter.</p><p>For the first time in a long while, you felt as gorgeous as everyone said you were. You would try to hold onto this feeling and think back to it whenever your self-esteem took a dive.</p><p>Guests stayed as long as they could before the celebration finally died down. People were in good spirits when they left. You thanked everyone who took the time to give you one last blessing and their goodbyes. The crowds thinned until only your closest friends and family remained.</p><p>“Goodnight, dearest one. Give us a call anytime you’d like, and please convince Tetsurou to stop by more often.” His grandmother reached up and rested her palm against your cheek. “How I envy you. In the prime of your youth, your future ahead of you, and so in love.”</p><p>“Enough with the sentimental drivel, we need to get home. I’m exhausted!” her husband cried. “And you shouldn’t waste your breath. Our precious granddaughter will surely whip him into shape and make sure he fulfills his obligations to his family.”</p><p>Kuroo’s father rested his hand on your shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Please take care of my son. I know he can be quite the handful, but he’s a good man.”</p><p>“I promise I will.”</p><p>The magic of the night dissipated before your very eyes. The kimono now weighed heavily on your shoulders after wearing it for hours and your ears still rang from the echoes of gleeful shouts and boisterous laughter. You tucked away the memories as best you could, thankful that so many people were snapping pictures and recording videos of the event.</p><p>“At least you’ll have a good night’s rest before your flight tomorrow night.” Your mom carried another gift towards the trunk of her car. They would be keeping them safe until you got back from your honeymoon. “Just make sure to text us when you land. I know you two will be…busy…but don’t make us worry!”</p><p>“Okay, Mom…” You tried to ignore the awkwardness of her implications. “And if you think of anything else you might want, just text me.”</p><p>You did find yourself a little tearful when they pulled out of their parking spot.</p><p>Kuroo placed a short kiss along your neckline before he opened the passenger door for you. You climbed into the car you would use to get home and drive to the airport tomorrow night. He suggested that you take advantage of the ride and take a moment to rest. You found the heaviness to your eyelids unbearable and gave in to them.</p><p>Kuroo roused you with a gentle call of your name. You blinked back your brief moment of confusion and sat up to get your bearings. You didn’t realize you fell asleep. His driving was always smooth and calculated, so it was no wonder that you ended up dozing off.</p><p>You entered the elevator together without a word. It was late. People in the complex were either inside their homes sleeping or out on the town and drinking away their troubles. You kept your arm wrapped around Kuroo’s as you trailed down the hallway.</p><p>The apartment was empty, quiet, and provided you with a wealth of comfort the moment you stepped inside. You could feel the tension leave your body every move you made forward. Your home was your safe haven and it always had been. You found that the space within these walls gave you the strength to recuperate from the stressors of the outside world.</p><p>Kuroo guided you to the large window on the other side of the room. He pulled the curtains back and opened the sliding door. The balcony was peaceful despite the chaos below. With the breeze ruffling through the sleeves of your kimono, you took a moment to appreciate your first moment of solitude since the wedding began.</p><p>You relished the warmth and weight of his hand in yours. The texture of his fingers wasn’t as heavily calloused as it was in high school. He no longer had to bandage his hands for the injuries he took with every block he made. You drew your combined hands upwards and pressed a soft kiss on his knuckles. The lipstick you wore left a bright mark on his skin, causing his lips to curl upwards in a lopsided smile.</p><p>“So this is it,” he breathed, drinking in the darkness and the distant call of sleep. “I think I know what they mean when they say this is the happiest day of your life. Nothing could top that.”</p><p>“Tetsurou.” Your voice tore him away from the bittersweet thoughts and forced him to focus on you. “<em>Every day</em> with you is the happiest day of my life.”</p><p>His eyes crinkled with mirth as he bent down. His lips hovered over yours and his warm breath was still sweet from the alcohol buzzing in his system. “Alright, you got me. We’ll keep our winning streak going…just you watch.”</p><p>Silhouetted by the Tokyo skyline and its twinkling rainbow of lights, your shadows eased together and melded into one.</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Dear Reader,</p><p>I wanted to thank you. I initially wrote this because I was frustrated with the lack of representation for fat WOC in the fandom. I never intended to post it online because I was afraid it wouldn't be well-received. I'm glad I pushed myself to publish it anyway. The feedback that you've given me over the past nine months has been so encouraging that I was able to write my longest work of fiction to date.</p><p>For the past three years, my severe depression prevented me from writing a single thing. But because of the kindness and support I received from you, I was able to get myself back into something I truly loved and missed. You will never know how grateful I am for that. </p><p>I genuinely hope you enjoyed this story, because I could not have done it without you.</p><p>Sincerely,<br/>-isayantasi</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for reading!</p><p>Comments are always appreciated, I love hearing from y'all! &lt;3</p><p>Have a song that you feel relates to this fic/the characters? Add it to the <b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0hKpVyaFT61dcNNSRePfFo?si=fd508805ebde4af5">collaborative playlist</a></b>!</p><p>Take <a href="https://uquiz.com/rPkVZW"><b>my quiz</b></a> on which main Haikyuu!! captain has a thing for you!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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